


Real Inside

by Dekujin



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - No Curse, Animatronic!Rumple, Asexual Relationship, Body Horror, Character Death, Eventual Romance, F/M, FNAF!AU, Fluff and Angst, Horror, It Gets Worse, Mystery, Not a Crossover, Psychological Trauma, Robot/Human Relationships, Rumple will not turn human, Slow Build, Violence, Work In Progress
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-01-28
Updated: 2018-02-04
Packaged: 2018-03-09 09:45:01
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 28
Words: 458,983
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3245054
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dekujin/pseuds/Dekujin
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Belle French is forced to move back to Storybrooke when her ill father grows even worse for wear. Determined to help him she ends up taking a night time shift as a security guard for Storybrooke’s ‘Fantasy Family Fun Center-Avonlea’. However, the quiet empty building holds more secrets than she could ever imagine as a mechanical monster lurks in its darkened hallways…</p><p>But what lies on the surface is hardly ever what it seems, isn't it?</p><p>*Earlier chapters currently being revised. (Chapters 1-10 revision completed)</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 05/16/15- Chapter One first-revision completed.

 

—————  

This should have been  just  another normal night like all the others.   

It was an easy six hour gig he’d been  previously  told, nothing to  be worried  about in the slightest.  All he had to do was guard a silly building that looked like a castle for five nights a week-hell there’d been the promise of free pizza thrown in on occasion.  Even with all that he had to admit to himself he'd  been intrigued  when he read an ad about a ‘security guard’ position right here in his boring home town of all places one day in the classified section.  More  importantly  though he'd seen it as a simple and convenient way to get some quick cash before moving on to something better.  Still, it had been surprising to find the pay offered by his very current employer wasn’t as bad as he'd thought it would be-it'd been pretty damn good actually for something as simple as sitting in a chair,  being bored  out of one's mind, and doing nothing of value in the middle of the night.

So he was no idiot nor wasted time to think on it any further as he took the position the very day of his interview when he'd  been given  an offer. From then on out he had expected it to be smooth sailing till his next upcoming gig, nothing but a short lived venture be it a rather lame one... 

But low and behold here he was now, wishing he had never read that stupid ad in the paper. 

_“Come on... Come on... It's... It's just  one more hour-one measly hour…”_

Despite it being almost six in the morning that Saturday somehow the time couldn't move any faster for the current security guard.  The small snug office he sat in was  eerily  quiet for the time being like his previous shifts, but unlike the four other nights the room was now completely lit up with every single possible light source it contained.  The typical ceiling fixture above him was shining down bright, tarnishing everything a bland yellow from its perch.  From the large wooden desk pressed against the wall parallel to the door was also a turned on lamp craned towards the door on its bendable neck.  Then  lastly a flashlight sat slick and cold in the boy’s clammy sweaty hands, attempting to peel away the remaining shadows.

Shadows that made him feel nothing but foolish as he sat there by the desk shaking from head to toe in his swivel chair.  Though he had turned twenty years old recently-an age deemed by him as a time to throw away childish notions and silly fears, the five foot eleven-and a half he liked to say, young man found himself unable to move an inch.  A terrible fear like no other he'd felt before was  thickly  coiled around every inch of him, smothering him from head to toe in a stuffy blanket of dread.  

All he could do was to continue to sit there in his seat while his limbs flinched and trembled from his frantic racing nerves. His shaking was so bad that he was hardly able to keep the flashlight from falling out of his doubled grip.  

When he thought it could not get any worse with the tense air almost suffocating him a loud metal ‘CLACK’ broke the veil of heavy silence hanging overhead. It echoed from outside the office door, causing the young man to practically sprawl out of his swivel chair that very next second.  He did his best to regain himself immediately after despite having fallen half way to the ground, yet all the while he'd never allowed the beam of his flashlight to flicker away from the gaping mouth of the doorway... A doorway that revealed nothing in its pitch black depth.

“W-Who the hell is there!”  He cried in a voice that cracked from how high its pitch had risen before he immediately regretted the action.  Keeping his voice quiet for any longer though was becoming unbearable with how terrified and sick he was starting to feel. If only his family could see him now...  Because as impossible as it seemed to be with his talkative nature he hadn't said a single word in three hours after the first set of strange noises that had begun to drift up the corridors and into the office.

Naturally at first he had disregarded such noises as he'd heard them well enough before here and there the last few nights, but nothing... Nothing like these horrible echoes that called out through the devoid halls tonight!

“If this is a joke it’s not f-funny! So you better stop fucking around with me you g-got it!”   

After calling out with thankfully no reply he turned and reached for the small tablet like device sitting in its propped up rest upon the desk.  Grabbing it hastily-about dropping the thing in the process, he pushed a button on its side which made the tablet flicker to life with a tiny jingle.  The screen blinked, began to boot up, and then when it  was done  went to showing an image feed of what had to be the large buildings front doors from a camera placed right above in some nook.  Right away it looked as if nothing was wrong or unusual with the empty scene before his eyes so he struck at the screen with his index finger, flickering through the video to another image.  Flash after flash, flick after flick, showed other parts of the dark establishment within his tremulous hands. 

One flicker lead to a video of what looked to be a hall down to a large empty room with several giant wooden tables set as if for an upcoming birthday.  Then with another flick of his finger the screen showed what was  clearly  a rather vast and modern looking kitchen with two island counters taking up the center.  Continuing on the screen flickered next to outside some doors with bathroom signs pinned to their fronts, to a large stage that was too dark to see much of anything, a long hall filled with doors that was for staff only, and then to a video feed of what looked to be right outside the security office itself.

However, through out all these videos and images there wasn't anything that could be seen out of the usual, nothing unfamiliar and nothing... That didn't belong.

Which only made everything that was happening that much eerier.

“That’s it... I’m going nuts! Oh god, I must to be so fucked up right now. Shit-shit-shit! Way to go Cooper-you just had to fucking have a good time tonight didn't you and look what you got yourself into...”  The young man laughed to himself  nervously  before wiping his sweaty hand against the front of his uniform, and in turn soiling the white button down shirt and blood red tie hanging from his neck. 

As the bout of anxious dread was dying down Cooper began to find himself regretting many a thing, especially about making some certain jokes with his friends from three days ago.  Ironically  enough he had sworn to them about seeing  ghostly  images dart across the security cam footage as he worked amongst disembodied voices and flickering lights. Before this it'd been a complete utter lie just to get some cheap shock and looks of surprise from his buddies who all had far more interesting and 'real' jobs than him... None of them bought what he said in the moment of course, knowing him and his tendency to... _Fib_. In the end it had simply been kind of funny for them all to think and talk about it in the safe daylight hours as if it had actually happened-like what horrors would await him next on his next shift.

Now with such weird things happening out of the blue it seemed like karma was getting him back good for his tall tales. Not that his idea to 'spice' up the night had been a great one either- 

Abruptly  another loud ‘CLACK’ echoed down the hall which caused Cooper in a swift motion to look up to the door as he scrambled for the flashlight he had set down  absentmindedly. With it in tow he aimed it right at the thick darkness that seemed to swallow the world outside the small office with greedy glee in its thick abhorrent tendrils. Yet, the glow revealed nothing awaiting him within it once  again much to his audible relief.

Right when he thought his erratic heartbeat could not get any worse it received another surge of adrenaline as without warning static, sharp and noisy, started to crackle from the security tablet. The young man fumbled for it in a rush of fear  in order to  attempt to turn the volume down on its side panel.  For some reason as he did so he noticed how the usually clear images of the cameras were starting to flicker from a normal crisp pixel ratio to a fuzzy snow and then back  rapidly  with the snap of the speakers.  At this point he wasn’t sure anymore if his mind was making this up now-it felt and looked much too real to be some mere hallucination.

While it continued regardless to hiss and growl the young man grew fed up with the annoying sounds, smacking the tablet with quite the force. “Fucking hell! Work! You! Stupid! Thing! Come on!”

Frustration over took him and then without much thought he threw the tablet at the open doorway, though he'd not quite meant for it to clatter against the ground and slide straight into the black hall which  promptly  consumed it. A second later he was so mortified at what he'd done the security guard smacked himself in the face with his palm-the sound echoing about his small space. Afraid of what object he might throw next in his jittery state he allowed himself a few extra seconds to breathe and calm down.

This was getting ridiculous-he needed to get a grip! Despite the strange and frightening sounds in this surprisingly hellish family fun center he had not once seen a single scary thing during his shifts the first four nights he’d been working here. Thinking about that helped Cooper somewhat, and so he leaned back in his seat, trying to focus on other things to ease down his far too wigged out mind. With time the rapid beat of his heart declined further as he recalled the fact about buildings often making noises because of their foundations bending as well as from air movement. Perhaps, this one was just _extra noisy..._ After all Avonlea had just been remodeled a few months ago so there was bound to be some parts of the new structure shifting and adjusting.

Yeah, that helped a lot... There was nothing to be so freaked out about as whatever he was experiencing had to be all in his head.

Right... None of this was real.

Feeling far more confident than before Cooper grabbed at his discarded flashlight and then flicked it back on as he stood up from the chair which squeaked with his missing weight. The beam of ebbing light drifted across the carpeted floor to the tiles outside so he could find the damn useless device that had finally gone silent, snag it, and just wait for the clock to reach six from the safety of his office without pissing himself. God! The young man realized then from his straining bladder that he hadn’t even been brave enough to make it to the bathroom just down the very hall from his cooped up office the entire time.

As he was turning from his chair to glance up at the simple clock hanging above the desk to consider the possibility another sharp metal sound ricocheted through the air. With that he jumped straight up once more, his poor heart nearly shredding through his chest and bursting out between his ribs from how loud it had been. There was no denying the 'realness' of these sounds now as something far more than the building's foundation groaning or their location... Because, this time the strange ‘clack’ of metal bouncing against metal sounded as if it had been…

As if it had been right…

Slowly, upon the tiniest movements, Cooper craned his head from the desk to the empty door frame.

It had... It sounded as if the horrible noise had been right outside his office...

How... What on earth was it-what...

Unable to help himself the beam of Cooper's flash light wobbled like a drunkard from how bad his hands were shaking while it managed to cross the door's wooden frame to peel back the abyss like shadows beyond.

It was there he found something this time, for there lurking in the shadows he exposed was a face looking back at him.

**_‘AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH-’_ **

In an instant the monstrous looking thing was screeching violently at him before the young man could even comprehend what was happening at all. Wild yellow eyes that burned like fire and an abyss full of daggers for a mouth reached forward from the stalk of nothingness it was seemingly raised up upon, flying towards him with deadly speed-

Though Cooper could hardly hear its inhuman cry from the shriek of terror ripping out of his own throat.

—————

It’d been a while since she’d last been here in Storybrooke, and somehow it also felt like she'd never left.

Sure she stopped by on some occasions to visit her father, but she hadn't done that near as much as she first did when she moved out those seven years ago. It must have been several months now since her previous trip-a fact which caused a bit of guilt to rise up in her chest. Yet, if she’d been away for longer-like a decade-or a century perhaps, she was absolutely positive the sleepy town in a woodsy portion of Maine would be just exactly the same as it always had been. Inside she knew she couldn’t be the only one strolling about its streets who constantly felt as if the town was somehow stuck under some loop of time that kept repeating the same twelve months over and over again... Waiting for something to break-to alter the flow of their trapped reality...

Of course that's the stuff only found in silly fairytales and childish stories-she knew well enough that this was a reality far from having magic abound or fairy godmothers to hear one's pleas. Things had indeed changed even here while she was away... For better and for worse, whether she liked it or not.

However, one of the many things that had stayed the same in her time gone was the town's tiny little treasure called Granny’s Diner. It was a quaint little local owned restaurant named after the establishing woman herself that had been around beyond when Belle was young. Surprisingly, the unanimously favorited eatery-given it was one of the town's few eateries, was actually slow that morning. It was a regular old Tuesday, but normally there were more occupied seats at the bar and usually several booths all taken up, according to her memories of this place in the past. The few lingering customers inside, whom she eyed discreetly from her seat, were busy stuffing their faces with fresh hot pancakes or fueling themselves with a simple cup coffee before heading out on their way. Looking around more towards the building itself she noticed all the decor within remained just as it had always been, giving off a hint of the eighties with a small woodsy twist that was starting to age surprisingly well.

Everything was fine from what one could see externally... Except one empty red leathered booth in particular had Belle French a bit puzzled. That one was notoriously known to be occupied right on the dot every day, and that occupier was one friendly face she’d been looking forward to seeing since being... Well, _back_. Then again not many people knew about her returning after all this time, so she hadn't been expecting a surging crowd of people to be welcoming her as she tumbled back into this quiet isolated world.

Unfortunately the reason for her making a reappearance to the town she had only lived in for a short while was not at all a happy one.

“Well look who it is! You need some more ice tea Belle? I know it is your favorite.” A familiar voice rung happily in Belle’s turned ear, and she looked back to nod in response since her mouth was full of a bite of delicious scrambled eggs. Ruby Lucas, a tall, dark brown haired, elegant, and wild woman-known for her unique one of a kind version of the Granny’s Dinner uniform as well as her rather tough yet loving relationship with said grandmother, filled her glass of tea to the brim. The bright red from her short waist apron stuck out as much as the streak of her long hair, enhancing some of the cream of her skin showing beneath the crop of her white button up shirt. It was an intentional display, for the wearer herself and more so any wandering cutie's eye, that was simply just part of Ruby’s image. 

“Thanks-you know just how to win me over.” Belle said while wiping at her face with a napkin in an attempt to keep her lacy blue dress from becoming a mess thanks to the smorgasbord of breakfast before her. After a long sleepless night and the building worry she endured she thought it only fair to chow down one of her favorite meals to reenergize. “Sorry, I forgot how good the pancakes are, and I just had to have some since it’s been so long. It’s also good to see you again too Ruby.”

“Feelings mutual Belles-I was wondering when you’d stop back on by it has been some time since you wandered in." Ruby gave a toothy grin, her pearly whites showing behind lovely painted lips. “I’ve been hearing some rumors drifting about by the way... Someone mentioned you might be moving back here to little ol’ Storybrooke. I wasn't sure if that was true or not, but I’d have to say I’m very excited if they happen to be accurate.” At the end those lips fell, sinking into a slight pout as the waitress crossed her arms over her chest. “Everyone here have become such fuddy duddies anymore, it's becoming unbearable-and I’ve missed you, your nonstop talk of books and all.”

Belle had to laugh at the blunt address to her tendency to gab about what she was reading and the not so lively community they had lived in. It seemed both of them had found that fact frustrating time and time again growing up, though their own reasons for feeling that way were severely different. Once more it was just another example of Storybrooke’s consistency to try to avoid any change wherever it could.

A worn sigh escaped her parted lips before she answered in in reply. “I’m probably no better than those fuddy duddies you talked about anymore given my not so interesting lifestyle, but I agree-I've missed you as well. It is strange to be back here like this with everything happening like it is...”

Suddenly as if something had hit the waitress her eyes flew open and words gushed out in a worried deluge as she leaned over the counter closer. “Shoot-I should have asked this first, I’m sorry, but Is your dad okay? I heard from a customer earlier this morning-I’m pretty sure was one of his game night buddies-regardless-he was saying something about him having to be checked into the hospital last night."

At that news she already knew too well Belle's expression fell a bit as the previous joy moments before felt like it was being snatched away by the cruel reminder of the terrible changes that had occurred around town. Yet, through it she kept her small worn smile upon her features while she pushed some eggs around on her plate. “Let me just say first that the rumor about me moving back is going to be most likely true... My dad’s not doing well overall, he’s having issues breathing, chest pains, as well as other health complications. I’m nearly positive after his final check up today I’ll be packing up my apartment and moving back down here before the month is over.”

Belle’s auburn curls bounced around her shoulders as she shook her head, an unmistakable sorrow dancing across her vivid blue eyes. 

It was terrible to even think like this after her father had suffered as he had... How everything she’d built these last seven years away from here-from Storybrooke, felt as if it was crumbling to dust against her fingertips... But then, there was a far worse truth beneath that selfish notion, because what she 'had' honestly wasn't much at all with how easy it was going to be to pack up that meager life and move on without even blinking an eye. In all her time away she thought she'd 'gained' something that she'd been missing all these years, but in reality... It was starting to feel like no matter where'd she go she'd never find 'it'.

Feeling rather foolish the young woman quickly fought off the waves of self pity, indulging it only a moment more. “Boston has been nice and different, I’ve really enjoyed living there for the last few years, and I think a small part of me is going to miss it… The freedom-the no one knowing you or where you came from, but even then I never felt like I really 'belonged' there you know?”

“Aww-you're so lucky you managed to get away from this bore fest though-I’d kill to get some proper taste of that ‘freedom’, but I get what you mean… By the way, has all of this happened with... You and your dad still not seeing eye to eye...” It was less of a question on Ruby’s part and more of a statement if anything-the facts were obvious enough given her few times returning to town.

“In the long run it has gotten a lot better over the time I moved out, sadly we’re both just too stubborn for our own good to live together. I can’t imagine it being any other way with me and him considering our natures, but that means I can't go back to living with him in his apartment over the shop. Somehow I'm going to need to find myself my own place near by... Not sure how well that is going to work out, but I'll figure out something.” The blue eyed beauty mumbled before taking another savory bite of her syrup drenched pancakes, focusing instead on the delightful taste instead of the unsavory past fights between her and her father. Despite Moe French and his bookish daughter not being able to agree on lots of things-like her with his need to still sneak a smoke and lack of proper organization with his own business and him with her need to throw herself head first into everything-recklessly almost, they were family. 

No matter what when the other was in really deep and over their head the other was there to help, just as she was right now-it was only the two of them after all.

“I’ve got some good news for you then!” Ruby exclaimed as she set an elbow on the counter, but she removed it just as quickly when Granny, a smaller woman with a head of curly grey hair and sharp eyes behind a set of bifocals, glared from over at the register while an older couple paid for their meal. “Anyways... There's an available one bedroom apartment here in town with a pretty decent price for rent right now. I’ve been thinking about it myself... Buuuut, I’m still needed at Granny’s and I pay way less for rent by staying with her.” Ruby was forcibly pouting now, and Belle had to bite back a chuckle so her friend wouldn’t feel offended by her sudden amusement.

What amused her wasn't so much the pouting as it was the simple fact that it was such a Ruby thing to do. As different as they were the two of them had been rather good friends since their middle school days when Belle had first moved to Storybrooke from Australia at the mere age of eleven. The seemingly ‘exotic’ new classmate had been greeted eagerly by little Ms. Lucas on her first day, and since then they had always kept in touch. Belle was one of the few who knew of just how much the wild blooded woman longed for her own sprint at freedom-having been born with an insatiable spirit for ‘adventure’ that Belle felt akin to, but Ruby was more loyal than anything else-even above being adventurous, and couldn’t leave her only family behind.

In that regard she was the far better person given Belle had run the very moment she'd turned eighteen...

“No way? There’s really an available apartment here with decent rent? That’s a bit shocking.” Belle tore herself away from her mind stoking at her inner failings, though she truly couldn’t quite believe that part of Ruby’s tale-more or less the claim of decent rent. While she was behind on the politics or ongoings of Storybrooke she knew that a man named George, nicknamed 'King George', owned a fair share of the apartments and buildings in town. From what she'd heard it sounded like he was generally rather harsh about rental prices and payment being made on time.

“Well, the apartment is above the library, which would be an issue for some people having to keep quiet and no pets, but if there’s anyone who wouldn’t be bothered it’s you, ya’ little bookworm. Maybe you could get away with paying part of the rent by lending out books from your own personal library too.” Ruby looked rather smug at her joke, causing Belle to lid her eyes in a playful unamused manner.

Before the bookworm could ask further the door to Granny’s dinner opened with a loud jingle of the door's bells. Curiously Belle glanced over her shoulder to see the newcomer, and those blue eyes of hers lit up when she saw the very someone she had been hoping to see in that empty booth. The town's sheriff-a Mr. Graham Humbert, strolled into the little dinner and slumped into his usual spot he had always seemed to sit in years ago. Like most days he was sporting the sheriff uniform he was known for while emitting a presence of gentle authority. 

This morning though he seemed quite haggard from his immediate slouch, and both Ruby and Belle glanced at each other with a gleam of interest in their eyes.

“I was going to ask what can I get you today, but I don’t think I need to. I'll have it right out.” Granny spoke brashly as she approached Graham with a little notebook in hand, already jotting something down before turning away to tend to other customers.

“Yes, the usual please, perhaps extra caffeine if you can spare.” Graham gave a sluggish smile and Ruby, overhearing from this distance, went right away to getting to a full mug of caffeinated coffee for him before the other server could even make a move. Looking up after running his hands over his weary scruffy face and hair, Graham seemed to notice a familiar sight sitting right at the front counter. 

“Ms. French? I thought I recognized you when I walked in, it’s been a while.” He called out, catching the beauty's attention again and setting off a wide smile.

With her food finished Belle picked up her ice tea before striding over to the sheriff's booth to sit across from him, her happy grin still dappling her rosy lips. “It has been a while, how are you doing?” It was asked in partial concern to his haggard look as well as the general nature of his job-even if Storybrooke was never home to any wild car chases or intense gun shootings keeping the local police in a frantic state of panic.

“Oh, just some late night calls recently. I had to help look for a missing kid last night, but he was found and returned safely home. Because of that I've missed my few hours of needed sleep as a result, but duty calls before beauty.”

Belle chuckled softly along with him, their chatter mingling with the noises from the rest of the diner. “I guess there has been a lot more going on around Storybrooke than I was expecting.”

Ruby, swishing along in her skirt and apron, appeared at the table side a second later with coffee in hand for the worn Sherif who nodded his thanks. After taking a short sip he reached over, adding a single packet of sugar to the mixture while he spoke. “There’s been quite a bit going on as of late-I'm sure that has to be surprising when we're talking about Storybrooke of all places… But since you're here I'm sure you've already heard and know all about what's happened to your father, but I still want to give my condolences to the two of you. I was keeping a closer eye on him this last month when I noticed he seemed to be a little out of sorts here and there, and I should have spoken up when I first saw he was having some issues... But if you need help keeping an eye on him I'll be sure to stop by the shop more often.”

Such kind words caused Belle's eyes to lidd heavily as they tried to contain her own weariness from the kind man’s sympathy or anyone’s in general. There was only so much the young woman could handle after enduring two years of sorrowful eyes and half hearted ‘condolences’ all those years ago when her... No, she had to remind herself that this was different-Graham wasn’t like that, nor Ruby and Granny, or the other kind people she knew around town… And it did feel nice for a change to have other people seem to genuinely care.

"No need to rush-the two of us should both be fine for the time being with all the nurses keeping an eye on him-I just got here late last night and saw him for a few hours before I crashed at his place. In fact, I just got back from seeing him again at the hospital about an hour ago too, just so you don’t have to worry Dr. Whale confirmed that it wasn’t an actual heart attack... But it was pretty close. They’re going to be doing some testing on him to see if there is something worse going on than the typical health complications-which I’m positive there is besides his high cholesterol. That means I’m staying here for another night to watch over him too.” Belle finished, finding her lungs nearly empty from the deluge of information as she let her hands beneath the table grip tightly at the hem of her dress. “I really want to thank you though… For keeping an eye on him, it shouldn’t be your job to do so-I should have been there-”

“Please Ms. French don't push yourself, and it's what decent people do after all.” Graham interrupted, giving Belle time to brush aside the tears threatening to escape in a casual swipe with the back of her hand. “I do have to ask, does this mean you’re planning to move back and staying in Storybrooke for a while?”

“Strange that everyone seems to think I'm going to be moving back...” Belle's voice found a hint of humor as she quirked her head. She’d been wondering about it since Ruby piped up at the counter about such a rumor, but it didn't make sense in her mind-who was gabbing about little forgettable Ms. French as if it was big news?

“I'm afraid the whole town practically knows. I myself heard your father gushing about the possibility of it on Sunday-before his health fell, when he stopped by the mayors office to bring her an order of flowers or something. He kept going on about how you were going to be possibly moving back to Storybrooke in the nearby future and how happy he was you would be.”

It was then that Belle felt the burning at her eyelids become too great, the tears freeing themselves as they slipped down her fair cheeks. Coming to her rescue Ruby swiftly gave her a napkin to help the young woman save her makeup from ending up a giant messy smear down her face.

“There I go again-I'm sorry, I really don’t try to make ladies cry.” Graham joked which made Belle laugh too as the urge to sob subsided amidst the happiness his words about her father had brought her. To know that he had missed her that much-that he'd been so happy at the mere thought of her moving back closer... It meant the whole world to Belle and more, lighting her flushed face once again with a painfully wide smile.

“Geez, I didn’t know you were the heartbreaker type... You do kind of look like one though.” Ruby scoffed in fun, though the poor sheriff eyes pleaded with her in shock. “Oh come on, you know I’m kidding-you'd need to date someone first for us to find out.”

After a few moments more of the antics before her, Graham turning the most red she'd ever seen and the waitress smirking at causing it, Belle regained ahold of her composure. Reaching for a napkin from the dispenser on the table the beauty nearly grabbed at the daily newspaper tucked behind the condiments instead, upon doing so she also caught the immediate attention of the man across from her. 

As if a light bulb had gone off his blue eyes lit up in thought. “Belle, if I'm recalling right you worked part time as a security guard in Boston right?” His statement earned him another puzzled look, she didn't know how he knew of this either though she was starting to gain a good idea. “Your father also talks about how you are whenever he gets the chance-never mind that, what I was-”

“You really did go and get a certification! I thought you were just saying you wanted to do that as a joke to all the dicks who said you couldn’t-I didn’t think you actually did.” Ruby stated, glancing down at Belle with more than a hint of disbelief in the arch of her brows.

“Hey, I got a part time position at the college guarding the dorms for a while because I took that very class to get the certification, which then in return helped me get my current job at the library there too. Besides, it wasn't difficult at all for someone like ‘me’ to obtain one, and if it happened to bother some guys along the way that’s not my problem.” Ruby rolled her eyes when Belle was done, seeming confused why she'd ever do such a thing. Even though her friend was a rather understanding person there were still somethings Belle chose to do that not Ruby-or really anyone else who knew her could ever entirely wrap their heads around. That was fine with her, the beauty knew a long time ago that she was odd-her lack of an abundance of friends spoke for itself, but if there was one thing she hated most it was when people tried to decide what she could or couldn't do...

That coupled with her stubbornness tended to get her in things she even didn't expect herself... Like ending up with the credentials to be a security guard of all things when she'd went to school for library science...

Brushing aside all that for the time being she focused back on her conversation with Graham. “While that is true why do you ask? Because if you're needing help at the sheriff's station I'm unfortunately not qualified for that kind of work.”

He shook his head in response to Belle’s question, continuing on after Ruby had to scurry away when Granny yelled at her for abandoning her post with pot of coffee still within her grip. “You know of 'Avonlea' right? That family fun center and pizza place right near the interstate exit headed towards Portland?”

With that single name Belle's mind jumped into a flurry of associated memories to the faintly forgotten castle like building sitting at the edge of town, the images coming back sharp and clear. “Of course I know it! I spent way too many Saturdays there during the first summer I lived here when I was in middle school. Between playing in the arcade and hiding in a corner to read my books I practically lived there.”

“Marco, or as you know him, Mr. Getto, needs a security guard position filled since the last person just up and quit out of the blue. He asked me a few days ago if I knew anyone interested and I didn’t really, till now. You’d be perfect for the position, it's a simple shift-nothing too crazy, and it’s actually not bad pay for the work. You already have a certification and reference so he’d be crazy not to hire you right off the bat.” 

Spurred further Graham reached for the newspaper she had nearly snagged, Storybrooke’s ‘The Daily Mirror’, and thumbed it open to the job listings for them both to see. Sure enough there in the tiny classified section was an ad for ‘Avonlea: The Fantasy Family Fun Center’ looking to hire a part time security guard.

“Just this job is not enough to pay off all the bills if you're looking only to work one,” Belle took the paper thoughtfully, rereading the small ad over while Graham went on with his explanation. “But, it could be a part time job close to home so you wouldn't have to worry about being so far away your father, especially at night or in the evenings. So long as you do plan to move here of course.”

Truth be told it wasn’t a bad proposition at all Belle noted as she read the typeface text and all over again to absorb all the information she could. In fact, as strange as it sounded, her finding this position almost seemed… Fated in a weird way. What were the odds of her returning to little ol' Storybrooke with not only the chance at snagging a fair apartment but also a decent part time job that would help both her and her father keep up with his bills while he was down and out?

Still, she’d need to actually go talk to Mr. Getto and see for herself if this was really worth it as a part time job, even for a short while like a few months or so. There would be part time openings in Boston that would pay a bit more than this with probably more hours. With this job though she would literally be right here in Storybrooke so if her father had another fit or near heart attack she could be there to his aid much faster, letting her keep a better eye on him too would be worth it in the long run.

It was at a sudden thought of her father, alone and hurt while trapped sputtering on the floor of his little apartment, that cemented her choice on the matter. She decided with a small smile to herself that’d she check it out and take any offer the second she knew it would be what they both needed. An odd giddiness she had not felt in a long time fluttered up in her stomach with this new hopeful thought as the past memories she had with that almost magical place weren't helping her usual logical mind frame keep the bias feelings out on her choice no matter how hard she tried.

“Thank you.” Belle told her booth companion again before tucking that page of newspaper into the maw of her purse. “I think I’ll give Marco a call tonight and see if it’ll work out or if I’ll even get an interview if he hasn't already found someone else to take the position. Hopefully if I get the chance it will-it’d be awfully nice to have a job so close by… Honestly, I'm getting excited the more I think about it!”

“Just hold onto that hope Ms. French. Things will work out for the two of you, I have faith.” With that said Graham drank the rest of his coffee with a long hearty swig before setting some money on the table for his tip. Abruptly a buzzing sound started to reverberate from the sheriff's pocket, and with a quick glance at the phone he withdrew he sighed out loud, reminding Belle of how tired he must still be. “I'd love to talk with you more, but I've got to get going, I’m getting a call from Ms. Ginger... It's probably about Archie’s dog barking again. Also-if I see you sometime soon be sure to remind me how it all went with the job hunt-and don’t forget if you get the job at Avonlea to haggle Marco for free pizza as well.”

The reminder only made Belle laugh again-in truth she'd be sure to keep that in mind. “They do have delicious pizza, that’s not a bad idea at all.”

“Just remember me when you have that free food, there’s a hard working officer at the police station that can’t keep the peace on an empty stomach.” He gave her a last smile then and a wave to both Ruby and Belle after paying up at the register. The door's bells jingled through the din of the dinner's air with his departure while Ruby came back to the table to pocket the fair tip he dropped. It was in that bit of silence she let out a snicker aimed in Belle’s direction.

“What?” Belle asked, a bit put off at Ruby’s random snigger, making her worried that maybe she was more of a mess than she thought her dainty fingers touched her face in search of any syrupy residue. “Oh no-is my makeup all over the place or something in my teeth?”

The other woman halted her bemused expression, though there was a twinkle in her eyes that spoke it all the same as she half turned away, preparing to get back to work. “No, nothing like that-just… I’m imagining you in the uniform they wear over at Avonlea-now I’m all for everyone wearing whatever they want, but just so you know... I would not be caught _dead_ in that.”

—————

Despite the hardships of the last few days the next morning had Belle up bright and early with the dawning sun.

Sleep still clung to her eyes as she forced herself up after crashing at her fathers apartment from another long tiring evening with him at the hospital. Though she was tired enough she could easily curl back into the guest bed (that had once been hers as that very room had been too), the blue eyed beauty found she couldn't. Instead, she forced herself up and went about doing a bit of cleaning around the small and yet somehow messy place to still the remaining nerves she harbored as well as make her stay there more comfortable. It was a perfect way to bid the time before she would have to stop at the hospital and check up on her father once more, bringing him some fresh clothes that she just washed and dried alongside her own.

When the young woman had gotten herself cleaned up too and out of the apartment lodged above Storybrooke's sole floral shop ‘Game of Thorns’ she found herself shortly having some standard breakfast with her old man in his current room. At least there had been some good news upon immediate arrival as one nurse told them both she could take him home in the evening since he only had one last visit with Dr. Whale before he was to be released. Overall her father was doing well from what she’d been told by the kind male nurse manning the desk out front-far better than expected. Her bubbling hope was sparked further when she walked from her fathers room after bidding him goodbye till later, hearing his laugh was still loud and boisterous as it always had been even after such a horrible fit he suffered.

It was in that mean time, between the wait for the evening to retrieve him, she had to get changed in her spare clean clothes and make her way over to Avonlea. Fortune had taken a fair liking to Belle it seemed despite her years feeling a bit... Rejected by it. After her chat with the Sheriff she had called Mr. Getto yesterday evening, finding the old time acquaintance very eager over the phone to hear from her as they caught up-especially with her interest in the job. Right away he had asked her to come over the next day to talk about the position if that was the best time for her to do so, and she quickly agreed without any hesitation. It was probably her emailed resume that had sent hours before that sealed the deal-she assumed anyways, and the bookish woman thanked her past self for taking that certification course despite the mocking and teasing of some of her classmates.

Things happened for a reason as she liked to believe, and her taking that course upon a random whim-as well as to prove some others wrong in thinking she was incapable, may have seemed so silly at the time, but now seemed to have been so important. Though Belle wasn’t sure how much she believed to be predestined in a person’s life more so than their own choosing-this somehow ensured her further… That it was meant to be-she'd made the right choice finally after some time of mistakes these last few years.

So as she drove in her small car, turning through neighborhoods and past places she recollected from older memories, she quickly found Avonlea just where it had always been. Despite the fact that it’d been nearly fourteen years since she’d last been there in person it didn’t feel near as long as it truly had been the moment she arrived. Though she loved the family fun center from what memories she had... Even she was a tad bit impressed knowing that the place was actually still up and running full time year round. Not that Avonlea ever had seemed to hit hard times-she knew the business did particularly well for being a solo venture born by one certain man's dream just a little over thirty years ago. But, what was strange was the fact that it did so well while being located inside what one could consider a tourism attracting town as its biggest building and industry happened to be a fishery and cannery combo. 

Each year though the family fun center managed to attract enough people to drive all the way out-from within the state and beyond too, so that one could experience the one of a kind entertainment and fun. It probably helped a lot that Boston was only an hours drive away and that it was so close to the interstate that the billboards and signage caught many a passing family's attention. It'd been one of the first signs she'd seen herself as a wee child many years ago, such memories were recollecting themselves as she peeled her eyes away from the very same one now.

Finally driving up into the parking lot, and parking her car in the closest spot she could manage the young woman had to stare in ‘awe’ at the physical difference this new building had with the one she knew and visited as a kid.

The entire place had been entirely remodeled on the outside, and standing outside her car staring forward it looked breathtakingly amazing. A new light up sign rested up on the tiled roof above the doorway, with large script font scrolling out the building’s name that had to glimmer brightly at night. Fresh paint and distinct modeling had made the outside reflect its medieval fantasy vibe more than the flat older building previously had as there were now rugged ‘stone’ towers edged alongside the corners of the building with little flags of the businesses color, deep blue and red, gently waving with the low hot wind. There was even a cobblestone path with guiding wooden railing-like an old fashioned bridge leading towards the entrance

To Belle it looked like someone had somehow planted a castle right in the middle of Storybrooke, Maine. So much so that perhaps a bit of magic had indeed seeped its way straight into Belle’s world without her knowing as her blue eyes stared in wonder.

Looking about her surroundings she noted a few other cars were out in front of Avonlea while she strolled through the lot with the ‘patter’ of her heels rhythmically following suit. In fact there were quite a few customers for a Wednesday afternoon which typically was not one would consider a busy day for most business-at least not an establishment like this. However, the summertime ensured an endless onslaught of parents treating their children to surprisingly good pizza and a world of fantasy fun to distract them from the heat. Belle had to blush upon the nostalgic feelings swarming her as she walked, for the memories she herself had here blossomed back in her heart more intense than before, creating a surge of excitement within her that was begging her to step inside and see the changes also made inwards.

The large doors emulating an iron and wooden wrought gate opened for her without the hassle of real ones thankfully, leading her into a large space that was the best described as the main party room. Grinning sillily as she gazed about Belle studied the once familiar building in a whole new light with the continuing reconstruction that had gone inwards too. There was still the dinning area to her left upon entering, which used to be much smaller and less ornate as there were now grand wooden tables with matching high back chairs that sat there in several rows, looking ready to be used for feasting than serving up pizza like she was seeing now. 

A get together seemed to be going on for a small girl at the head of one table as a large group of people were seated there and adorned with party hats. There was a pile of gifts upon a nearby free table top in matching colors to the plastic table runner and streams draped about the chairs for someone's 'sixth birthday'. It was easy to spot the special girl herself with the pointed pink crown resting against her head and the bubbling laughter coming from her at the end of the table. One of Belle’s dainty hands pulled at part of her purse strap at the joyous sight, feeling the age old desires she had as a kid of having a birthday celebrated here as well still tug and pull at her even now at the age of twenty five. A blush spread across her cheeks at the reminder of a silly wish of hers that she hadn't even noticed someone walking towards her, far too lost in the enchantment that Avonlea seemed to emit.

“Hello and welcome to Avonlea traveler!” A voice said right behind the blushing beauty so lost in thought, and Belle jumped a bit before turning to see a younger blonde haired girl striding up and sporting an Avonlea uniform. While it was not the most flattering apparel it was rather ‘cute’ in her opinion against Ruby's otherwise contrasting claims, and Belle's eyes quickly spotted a name tag clipped to the younger girl's shirt reading, ‘ASHLEY B’.

“Are you here for the party for Grace Hatter?” Ashley had asked her, seeming to notice her confusion and standing about like a sore thumb much to her further embarrassment.

“Oh no-I’m Belle French, I’m here about an interview for a position involving being a security guard.” Belle remembering her manners abruptly stuck out her hand politely, and though Ashley smiled nervously shed returned the gesture. “Do you happen to know where Mr. Getto is by chance? Or are you a manager her?”

“No-I'm just part of the welcoming committee you could say, and as for Mr. Getto... I thought I just saw him here a minute ago, he’s been doing some repairs around the place and with how fast he works who knows where he’s at now. Let me see if I can find him-I'll call to the guys in the back-”

“Ms. French?” Just as Ashley had begun to turn towards the nearby welcome desk an older male voice, hinted with an accent she couldn't place, called out to them from somewhere unseen. Belle quirked her head about in search of the source and watched as a quite familiar face appeared from behind a machine in the arcade area which was just to her right as it had been in the older building as well. The white haired man with a bald spot, sporting mustache and beard, had a rag and screwdriver in hand, but tucked them away into his pockets when he approached with an eager expression. “It has been quite a few years since I’ve last seen you! I still remember when you first came into Avonlea-you were much smaller than you are now, you're still the avid reader even now I presume too? Since you always came in with at least some book in tow every time you visited.”

Belle gave a soft laugh at that reminder, her cheeks flushing further at the fact that with all the customers he got Marco still remembered her continual occupying of one of the former tables at Avonlea on the weekends all those years ago. That tiny mousy girl should've hardly been an impressionable figure out of amongst the unique visitors Avonlea had, but maybe she had been if Mr. Getto noticed her of all things. He himself hadn't changed too much from that summer either, a bit older yes, but still smiling and holding that kind twinkle in his warm gaze.

“It has been a really long time, but I have to say everything is so different-I don’t even know if I’m at the right place. I swear Avonlea looks like a god honest castle now!” Belle replied while brushing at her hair, attempting to tone down her excitement even though it failed as it always did when her curiosity to explore welled up.

Mr. Getto's smile grew as he looked towards the dining area in a flush of pride as a roar of laughter erupted from the ongoing birthday table. Besides the party girl was an man in a top hat now-an oddly unique character himself against the scenery, that laughed beside her and made a silly face towards the girls direction, causing another spurt of giggling to ring from her.

“As you can see we just did some intensive remodeling about ten months ago.” Mr. Getto spoke, causing her gaze to withdraw from the warm vision of the father and daughter duo enjoying their time together. “It was quite a lengthy process-there's so many contracts and permits you have to have if you want to build anything, but it was worth every penny. So-Oh! Let me properly welcome you to the new and improved 'Avonlea-Fantasy and Family Fun Center' first and foremost.”

“I can't say this enough-it really looks.… Amazing. This new building is so much bigger than the older Avonlea, you must have built outward by a lot to accommodate for all of this.” Belle was still looking around even now, her curiosity had yet to be sated by few sights she’d seen so far. Just then a small group of people came in through the entrance doors with excited little ones in tow attempting to run off and play. Ashley noticing them swiftly left Belle and Mr. Getto in order to take the newcomers to her counter to assist them, leaving them to walking and talk further.

“You’re quite busy even on a week day.” Belle commented as the older man lead her aside, more towards the entertainment area where a large polished stage took up occupation in the back. The old Avonlea had a stage many years ago too but not this big nor furnished as this imposing one. Back then there hadn't been the two flat screen TV displays nestled above in the corners where the stage ended either-surely intended for the empty seats out front of the stage when they were full.

“There’s even more staff too now that I notice. How many people work here exactly and what do they-wait! Are my eyes playing tricks on me or is that-that's a dragon!” Belle interrupted her own series of questions in an excited gasp when she saw at the corner of the stage top the most amazing animatronic dragon she’d ever seen. Breaking away from Mr. Getto’s side the young woman bounced up the stage steps to look at the mechanical scaled contraption even more closely. 

“The remodeling included more than just the building and structure, we have much better technology than what we started out with-tenfold. We're very up to date safety wise and entertainment wise-or at least my installer said so.” The older man chuckled a bit, moving towards the bottom of the stairs as the young woman gawked some more at the impressive robotic creature. “I still have someone to come and check up on the equipment now and then as I don’t understand all of the new fangled programs they’ve had to use. I can fix quite a bit on my own, but computers and me... I'm from a different era.”

Though she was listening to Marco speak Belle could barely focus on his words was the incredible sight before her, a mass of metal disguised as a mythical beast with joints and pivots where the mechanical bits were cleverly exposed. In the lights its red 'scales' were gleaming-any second she expected it to rear back its head upon that long neck and give her a good surprise from how close she was leaning towards it. Never had there been such a thing like this when she had been here as a child, and instantly her heart knew younger self would have loved this to death.

“And you got animatronics!” Belle blurted rather childlike then, but her wonder was out winning the need for formality in the moment.

In response Mr. Getto laughed with a glimmer of delight dancing over his dark brown eyes. “Yes, we got animatronics.”

“This has to be the coolest thing I’ve seen all year...” Belle couldn't help but reached out a hand and touched the dragon's muzzle, feeling the strange unexpected texture of fake molded from silicone and foam as well as the cold touch of metal beneath that. It was rather obvious that it was a machine even from a distance, but it looked to have been intentionally created in a way that made that idea part of its aesthetic design. The draconic machine before her, as she slowly wandered around it, was crafted obviously with passion and care, and her quick mind caught sight of the lower half of the dragon portioned into the fake castle wall on stage.

‘It must not have an actual lower half then-to think that Avonlea has such a thing though...’ Belle deducted easily enough with the black fabric that hung around it to make it blend in as if it were creeping out from the mouth of a cave. Both of its front legs stood on a fake rock too as if at any moment it would rise up and emit a mighty roar, but right now it looked almost as if was sleeping blissfully away the going hours.

Mr. Getto stepped on stage and entertained her curiosity even more so, showing her the points it operated from behind the castle wall as well as some of the machinery for the stage backdrops. He was eager to show her the other animatronics that were back stage too, all hiding out of sight behind the grand red curtains. These animatronics were not nearly as ornate or complicated as the sleeping beast, but there was a typical looking prince, a beautiful princess, and a wicked looking evil queen, all semi bent over while awaiting their turn at acting out another story again. They too looked to be stuck in place where they stood, though there were some tracks underneath their clothed limbs that must have allowed at least some minimal movement.

These machines were all done in the same cartoonish manner as the dragon, obviously created by the same company or manufacturer. According to Mr. Getto, as Belle soon found out, they all ran several different kinds of shows and were programed to give a different experience each four weeks.

“Maybe, someday soon we’ll even get a few more machines to add to the collection of stories. By the way, you’ll be able to see one of the shows we have going on today in just about an hour if you’re interested. Till then let me give you a tour of the rest of the building and then we can talk about the position and hold our interview during a little break.”

Belle walked with him off stage, minding her heels against the wooden steps that creaked with their weight, but eagerly nodded. “That would be wonderful Mr. Getto!”

“Please, just call me Marco Miss. French."

—————

The tour she was given was extensive as Belle was taken from room to room, shown near about everywhere-even beyond what the public eye could see. The kitchen in Avonlea was quite large, with several ovens as well as metal island counters standing with overhead cabinets in the middle of the room. Mr. Getto was told security had accesses to the fridge, coffee maker, and microwave in the break room if they needed to snack or rehydrate-as not to have to worry about getting ‘lost’ within the kitchens vastness. She was shown a maintenance room, though he told her that not really anyone was supposed to go in there besides him and his mechanics because of the complicated equipment. Instead, for everyone else there were easy to find closets near the play floor and the back for standard supplies. 

As the tour continued she was shown other new sights, though not nearly as impressive as the animatronics she adored. There were two private party rooms followed by a large equipment and fake armory filled play area that surely would have made a younger Belle jealous from what it was before. Glancing through the door way allowed the beauty to see it had a large bridge platform play area that lead to a ball pit, all sorts of swirly slides, and medieval themed play pieces for the kids to enact all sorts pretend imaginative battles. 

Avonlea now even had a laser tag area! The rooms were occupied unfortunately when they passed by, but Mr. Getto promised to show it to her another time.

After being lead back to the other half of the building, and down the long hallway to the various other ‘staff’ used rooms, they stopped in the pre-mentioned break room where Belle got something to drink from a vending machine. Satisfied with the flavored water, for she was thirsty after a good time spent wandering around this seemingly endless place chatting away, Marco showed her to the small security room right down the corridor.

“This is where you’d be stuck most of the time with your shift.” Marco simply said as he opened the metal door reading 'SECURITY OFFICE' and lead them inside. Belle studied the space with keen blue eyes when she nosed her way in. There was a large wooden desk with a computer and a metal fan that looked kind of ancient sitting atop it as well as various other things desks tend to always have. Her gaze roved over more of the room, spotting a cabinet she assumed probably held all the paperwork necessary for her position, a two seater couch towards another wall, and a large armoire that probably held uniform pieces, coats, jackets, and other supplies. 

“I know the space is a a little snug-it used to be my office before the renovations, but it’s not bad for one person at all.”

“I like it-it's pretty cozy, but would I really need it all the time if I’m to be patrolling the building most of my shift? I mean, I’d be just out and about on the floor to make sure kids are okay, that no mischief happens, and that things are not getting damaged, right?” Belle inquired honestly, as she was growing a bit confused over the ‘general’ description the job the more they had talked about it. Overall what she had seen in the paper and heard by ear had sounded pretty good so far. It looked almost like she’d be more of a babysitter than an actual security guard, but Belle was fond of kids so that was fine with her. The pay Marco spoke of earlier was pretty good for a job like this too-a little bit higher than she expected, so that didn’t lessen her opinion.

“Ah, I see... The Sheriff must have forgotten to mention it you.” Marco stated the fact oddly, causing Belle to quirk a brow. “Forgive me, I should have told your right away then, but you see this position is for a night time security guard.”

Well, that would have been important fact to know off first hand. Belle tucked her lip between her teeth when she recalled the newspaper-she had scoped it over several time and now only realized it hadn’t mentioned all all what the hours would be. “I had no idea. I can work at night, that’s no issue at all, but I’m curious to know why you need a nighttime security guard.” 

A daytime guard made complete sense, but what was the point of being inside this tightly locked up building when you were the sole occupant? Storybrooke didn’t have rampant burglaries all the time, theft did occur, but would anyone honestly try to break into this place that literally could be called a fortress?

Marco looked as if he were to say something, but then he took a seat on the couch and offered Belle to join him. Sitting beside him with a rather curious look stamped about her features she listened to him and drank from her water bottle quietly.

“There's a reason it wasn’t mentioned in the newspaper, and that's because I wanted to keep it private… Eight months ago we had a break in here at Avonlea. Not the first one in all the years I’ve been open, but it was a pretty hard hit-there was damage to the building... The burglars stole a whole bunch of new equipment we had just gotten in-not all of it, but they managed to get away with some. Strange thing was it seemed as if they had left in a hurry because… Well, never mind that. Still, I decided that with all that I’ve invested in this place, for the kids and myself, I needed to not only improve the building but the security too. We’ve got a new security camera system set up and an alarm system-eh, the whole ‘works’ as you could say.”

“But… I’m a man born from a less technological time, so I felt I needed a little bit more than just some more equipment to comfort my worry. I decided six months ago to offer a night guard position. It’s a fairly simple job that doesn’t require a lot. Working the shift means you get use of a tablet device that allows you to interact with the camera’s to check out the building outside and inside with the several ones we have installed. If anything goes down the alarm will go off, or you have access to an instant program that will allow you to contact the police department immediately.”

What he said made everything more clear, and Belle could easily understand where he was coming from. When she looked at it from his perspective the place was practically a haven now for crooks and the like to try breaking their way into to make a dirty profit. Yet, even with that information something still felt amiss with the whole story-from how the man beside her had worded one unfinished sentence. 

The question was out her throat before she could stop it. “Did something else happen beside that break in?” Belle’s innate intuition was rising, her gut clenching when she could tell Marco was keeping something from her with his semi withdrawn look.

“Besides the break in then? No, not at all... The truth is for some reason or another I just can’t seem to keep a night guard to work the shift ever since I opened the position. The last young man who worked here only worked a week before he just up left without saying so much as a good bye… I'm not sure why-perhaps, everyone just finds the job too tedious or lonesome. With it being a late night position I can see why it’s not easy for some people to get use to or find comfortable.” He gave a slight tired laugh while Belle contemplated the information further, however she didn’t dare pry more into it. 

The young woman definitely felt there was something else to this, like a sticky film of sorts lay over the surface of everything around her as she walked this building, but she was not going to be turning down this job just because it and its circumstances were slightly… _Unusual_.

After another swig of water an amused expression crossed her full lips as she asked boldly. “Sounds like everyone is getting scared off, the place isn’t haunted is it?”

“I most certainly hope not! Ghosts are not something that would bring kids in nor their parents in.” Marco turned more to her, lifting a hand slightly as if he was meaning to say more. “Despite the ‘odd’ circumstances, I would like very much for you to work here Ms. French. I know you’re a smart and sharp witted woman who wouldn’t back down from a challenge-also the fact you do have an active certification and experience as a security guard before is a sign to me you’d be perfect for the position.”

“I will admit that I am very interested, but you should know I won’t be able to start right away if that's what you're needing.” Belle told him, but she was still grinning like a fool at her current luck of seeming to have snagged herself an extra part time job so quickly. “My stuff and belongings are still in my apartment in Boston. It’ll be a bit before I get that settled into a new one, if I happen to get it, and my other job will still be taking up some time.”

“No worries Ms. French-I can wait if you need a week or so. I’ve got Graham saying he will be checking up Avonlea occasionally when he’s out at night for a while. But does this mean you’ll take the job?”

Tucking some hair back behind her ear the now to be security guard tried her hardest not to simply blurt her answer out excitedly. “Yes, I would love to work here at Avonlea.”

Without containing his own excitement Marco slapped a hand on his knee, looking fondly and proudly towards her. “Wonderful!”

"Any paperwork I need to fill out then today before I leave or get back to you? Or do we do that later after I get settled back into Storybrooke?” Belle stood up from the rather comfortable couch with him, and threw her empty bottle into the trash with unusual luck.

“We’ll take care of all that when you start your actual first day,” Her now employer stated as they both left the security office to make their way back to the entertainment room. While they did Belle couldn’t help but let her feet glide over the black and white tiled floor with an eagerness near to burst out of her chest. Even when things seemed to be going horribly wrong it had all turned around before she knew it!

“I will get your pay all set up and the legal requirements before then. There’ll be a bit of paperwork you will have to fill for me, but that can be something you do your first night.”

“I look forward to my first day soon, especially if it means I also get a discount on pizza.”

Marco chortled once more while their footsteps ‘pattered’ and ‘clomped’ through the halls. “Of course, I can't let the night time guardian go hungry.”

After they escaped the narrow corridors of the back the two of them walked into the large open entertainment room that was now alive and humming with children romping about. Not only were kids seeming to be waiting for something to occur but sets of parents were lingering or sitting in the chairs patiently too. It had Belle blinking in confusion at first as to what was going on, but she caught sight of the lights shining down in florescent halos upon the finished wood stage, preparing for a scene about that was about to unfold.

“We’re just in time for the show.” Marco gestured, and so the two of them moved in closer to get a better spot for viewing behind the rows of chairs. Looking about Belle found the little birthday princess was there in the very front row too, bustling with untaped energy alongside the man still sporting that ridiculous top hat. Other kids continued to swarm over as a voice overhead ushered them on, claiming the show was about to start and that everyone need to 'please remain in your seats'-and _off_ the stage like one boy desperately attempted to remain upon.

Finally, the show began when the rest of the buildings lights nearby darkened to faint glows with the music drifting down from overhead.

The grand red curtain curled back from both sides, and the lights swiveled above to pull everyone’s attention over to the noble looking prince animatronic that stood forward and alone on stage. He began to speak while his limbs flew into movement, still clearly robot like despite the somewhat close imitation to a human as it could muster. As he spoke his voice reverberated off the walls from the speaker system, him- _it_ , spooling forth his tale, speaking of his beloved princess being kept from him by the horrid dragon in the far north and of his desperate need of a magical sword strong enough to slay the beast. 

Belle figured the show would be quite silly, and oh... There was already cheese to be had as she found out quick from the childish dialogue, but it actually intrigued her enough from a storytellers point of view that she found herself following along just like the excited children.

The prince, sporting the typical armor and cape that hung behind his form, began to sing a song with the change of music. The prerecorded lovely voice flowed around them, and several kids dappled about the seats and floor even sang along with the aid of the two TV’s above the stage. It seemed they had the purpose of sharing the lyrics across the screens so the little ones could join in whenever they liked.

“It sure has a modern tune to it.” Belle commented, with a sparkle in her eye, on the pop-esque music that seemed a bit of an odd combination with the fairytale get up.

“Times do change I’m afraid. The old music just didn’t work, and one must move on when it is what's best to do, no matter how strange.” Marco simply replied on an amused note, letting the two of them glance back to the stage light and moving mechanical pieces.

The show went on, and even some of the staff who more than likely had heard this show before, far too often if they’d been here long enough, watched in quiet contemplation. 

Story wise so far, as Belle kept up easily enough, the knight had went off on his quest and fought the evil queen when they crossed paths. He lost badly and nearly met his doom-only to be saved by calling upon a kid from the audience to take sword (a foam one given by the show attendee), and fend her off. Another silly song was sung by the evil queen, who had forced the dragon to steal the princess, whom she then had locked in a tower, gloating about her victories and soon to be kingdom. A bit of plot moved on, and later had the crowd seeing the prince call upon the kids from his spot on stage to help him fight off an evil monster made of shadow (created by the effects from the lights above), before he made his way to the tall tower.

With wide eyes Belle watched as what appeared to be the finale, set before her.

Belle at this point had been completely engrossed into the unfurling journey, despite having guessed all the turns and twists before they even happened. Something broke the magical spell the animatronic show had on her though, even with the adorable mechanical dragon waking from its slumber at last. Discreetly, she glanced about the room, wondering what had her feeling so strangely off. Nothing appeared wrong from what she could see in the dim lighting, no matter how hard she looked.

Just as she was about to brush it all aside and blame her worried nerves she noticed something that caught her interest.

There was something odd at the two metal doors leading into the kitchen area. Someone... At least what she thought was the shadowy shape of a person, looked to be peeking through the round circular window almost as if…

It was almost as if the person was staring right at her.

Belle blinked in concern, trying to make out the face that lurked behind the tinted window, but whipped her head around when the metal dragon gave a mighty roar. The kids squeaked and cried out in awe of the mighty beast moving and craning its long neck about, a giddy laugh escaped her too.

After a few seconds of awe, Belle glanced back to the metal kitchen doors with a flick of her eyes, but whomever was there behind them had disappeared altogether. 

‘It was probably just another one of the staff.’ She easily concluded, letting herself get back to watching the amusing and rather cute dragon snort and growl at the daring prince. More than likely the person she saw had been one of the cooks trying to catch a glimpse of the show too (she had met the two kind women staffed in the kitchen today just a while ago during her tour).

Yet, she didn’t, and couldn’t overlook the two cooks-right at that very moment when she couldn't help but glance back, setting down fresh hot pizza pies for the birthday party table.

She blinked her dark lashes once more, her soft lips gaping open to display her apparent shock.

“Who was it…” Belle muttered under her breath barely above a whisper, but pushed all queries aside to watch the shows grand finale alongside Mr. Getto. 

The prince who had fought and won against the mighty scaly beast, who sadly had his head laid down as if he were ‘sleeping’, was now locked in battle with the evil queen once again. This time however, with the help of the birthday girl whom held a large sparkly wand the show attendee helped her with, ended with him defeating the evil queen and her dark terrible magic. With that the princess was saved while the evil queen escaped off to her castle to fight another day. The two lovers reunited, sharing true love's kiss while the prince narrated their joy, but of course the show couldn’t end there without one more song as the final goodbye.

When the show did come to an end after the soft drop of the joyous song (about believing in love and all that other kiddish themed logic) the animatronics bowed as if they had enjoyed performing for them all before the gorgeous red curtains dropped down dramatically to conceal them. The entire room had grown silent during the ending but was soon filled with kids shrieking and laughing. 

As the normal lights flickered back, letting the beams of different colored spotlights shut off, the stage returned to its normal appearance. To Belle it was if the grand display hadn’t occurred at all.

Belle gave a quiet round of applause of her own amidst the noise of kids ready to go back to playing and the birthday group heading over to their table to gobble up the fresh hot pizza. Marco was practically beaming another proud smile at her honest appreciation when he turned to her.

“I have to say, I’ve been impressed all day, and I’ve been impressed again. What I wouldn’t give to let younger me see this, all of these changes.” A wistful note entered her voice as her fingers curled gently around the strap of her purse. Like before she couldn't help but think of that year again, of all the tough changes she’d gone through at a tender young age-how that doe eyed girl she'd once been would've been enthralled watching such heroic adventures. 

“Ah Ms. French, but she has.” Marco gently patted her shoulder, though his words were more surprising than his action. “That little quiet girl with her nose stuck in a book is still right here, just much more grown up-and much more lethal with her security guard training if I might add.” Marco teased and Belle felt a painfully wide smile break across her features for that second time that week. 

It was nice... And unexpected, to be back in Storybrooke and actually be able to smile like that despite the not so magical world outside this imaginary fantasy one remaining as it was. Even as enchanted as she was Belle knew reality laid just beyond those large faux wooden doors, it was best to not let herself get caught up within too much daydreaming.

“I suppose I should ask if you have any other questions at all before you go?” Her tour guide asked as they walked back towards the large front doors she was not ready to face as strange as that sounded. Taking her time Belle chose to talk with Marco a bit more about the changes at Avonlea and beyond in Storybrooke itself before she looked at the fading time and realized that she had to depart. The older man wished her well, and for her father also, which she appreciated greatly amongst all the other kindnesses shared today. 

Before leaving the woman managed to at least say good bye to a few employees-not to mention get one last sneak a peek at the excited birthday girl who was now digging into her food... All while eyeing her presents with a clearly impatient desire to see what wonderful secrets laid within them.

Then, in a moments notice, the magic she felt peeled itself away with the opening of the entrance doors.

It became quiet when Belle stepped outside and made her way back to her car. From where she stood she could still hear the sounds of human life escaping the building through crevices and spaces, if just faintly. No matter how hard she tried, the beauty's pretty grin could not abstain from her lips, and so she teased herself for being so easily swayed into this job. Soon she’d be a working cog in this clockwork system, an unnoticed piece amongst the daytime glamour, even if meant sitting at desk bored out of her mind at the late hours of the night.

To go from being the little girl hoarding books in her hoodie and escaping to this place for solstice and comfort because of the emptiness of home, to now having to protect it five days a week all by herself seemed quite ironic... Too ironic. But maybe this was her way of giving back to the place that had looked out for her when it felt no one else had…

With that final tender thought Belle buckled into her car and began to drive off when the engine growled to a start-determined that her life was going to make a _good_ change right here, right now. Her new job might not be the ideal job, nor the dream job of her-or anyone’s choosing... It may not be what she truly wanted at this point in time either, but it was going to help her and her dad…

And maybe that’s all that mattered for the time being.

—————

Time passed, grew, and  _changed_ , till the bright suns rays were swept away, allowing the creeping hungry black to swallow up all the colors in the sky.

So far everything had been the same these last few days as well as nights. The entirety of Avonlea after closing was as it should be-completely dark and devoid of noise or movement. The neon bold sign above the grand doors was not shinning vibrantly in display of the establishments name either, for it too was weary and allowed respite as everything else with the building was. The festering quiet set in throughout every room and hall too-with only the pipes humming beneath floors and walls to disrupt its complete hold. Ah... How beautiful the silence was, it was able to speak and whisper of the days events more than anything else without saying anything at all. 

Of course the only reason it was dead silent within the walls and halls was because finally there was no security guard tonight. The small office sat just as empty and dejected as the rest of the rooms within Avonlea as once again the office's last habitant was gone-the young man had abandoned his shift for over a week now and looked to be never coming back to reclaim it. All would be well if it could simply remain that way as Avonlea had spent years on end and survived without a security guard defying the stillness it always had...

Yet, the momentary tranquility was going to change, and far too soon like it had been for these last few months. Not before long a young woman named... Ms. French, would be residing in that office chair to monitor the building in the wee late hours of night. She’d be occupying this lonesome vacant place as well as breaking the quiet, peace, and offer of freedom that had been long denied to the sole occupant who stood in the thick dark contemplating this very night.

 _“No… Not again...”_ It whispered to the nothingness as it began its nightly routine of wandering down the halls, rooms, and spaces of this now hollow structure.

Just as the last boy had abandoned his duties so too would this new security guard- _‘It’_ would make sure of that. Avonlea only needed _‘it’_ to protect itself during the rule of the moon as the few hours of the night was the only time _‘it’_ could be free to exist.

_“I-I’ll scare her away, just like the others. Ev-ven-entually they’ll stop… There won’t be anymore… Go away… G-go away…”_

An eerie giggle filtered through the air then, breaking the hold the quiet had consumed in an instant with its high pitched ring.

Then from the shadows of a blackened doorway shown a pair of wicked yellow eyes before they too disappeared back into the darkness.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Belle’s first week at Avonlea begins and somehow the whimsical fantasy fun center turns from a normal security jig to an ever growing nightmare. She’s not backing down without a fight, and Belle is determined to make it through all five nights-despite something that’s making sure she doesn’t.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 05/22/15- Chapter Two first-revision completed.

It seemed fortune was continuing to favor Ms. French in her endeavor to move back into Storybrooke...

As odd as that seemed to be in her opinion.

The apartment Ruby had mentioned, a loft above the town's public library that was lodged underneath a large clock tower (that had been out of order for years fortunately), hadn’t been rented out yet. Unsurprisingly there were several other people interested from what she could gather from the landlord during the tiny tour he gave her. However, Belle went right away to offering her very own ready-to-sign-interest, and so with that and a down payment the deal was sealed. She'd be stuck there for at least a year contract wise, but Belle knew she'd be stuck back in her old home town for much longer than that to worry about it. With that done there was still the issues of her current apartment though with the usual hassle of moving and what not. Overall she was satisfied with the new arrangement-how could she not be absolutely delighted that the next easy access to vast arrays of reading material slightly bigger than her own shelves of books was going to be just beneath her feet.

With the biggest task done and moving day approaching close at hand Belle had finally been able to let the worry built up in her tense muscles slip away... For a little while at least. During the entire process of relocating all the way from Boston she had to stay at her old place-sometimes at her father's too when the hours were too late and driving too taxing. On those specific nights she came to realize rather quickly that staying with him was more useful to him than herself.

It was in those wee hours, training herself for her new night shift, that Belle kept herself busy helping her father get himself in a more decent order within his home as well as the business sitting beneath on the ground floor. It'd been a long time since she'd worked at her father's floral shop-the only one in town of course, having been forced part time help during the duration of her middle school and high school years. As an adult now though she found it soothing to sit amongst the floral decorations and greenery in the dead of night while she worked, sipping on a cup of warm tea and enjoying the glow of moon light. No matter what time it happened to be the flower shop was an environment thriving with life in nearly every crook and corner. Truly, she had always loved it despite never having grown so terribly attached to this place as her 'home'... But now she could appreciate it even more so being the sole occupant amongst the scenery.

Even then part of her couldn't help but wonder if perhaps such a routine like this would get quite lonely. For as lovely as the plants where they were hardly good company-Avonlea on the other hand would be even worse. There would be no plants, nor would there be any one else for Belle to pester, engage in conversation with, or just be alongside the entire time five nights a week. Perhaps it was silly to wish things were different when it came to something predictably lonely as a night shift always was, and so she ended up chiding to herself over it while tending to the watering of some thirsty plants. Besides, it was only a six hour shift in the dead of night, she would survive being all alone...

No one at that sort of time besides herself would probably be in a good mood anyways.

Those troubled thoughts of hers had then faded from the forefront of her mind with the passing time as after two Sundays of this out of place routine Belle suddenly found herself standing in her new bare apartment that was all her own. Boxes were stacked upon each other in the empty rooms, her personal belongings sat about almost as if confused at their new current predicament alongside her random acquired pieces of furniture that found themselves being shoved this way and that to find their new spot where they belonged. As Belle had already known the apartment was not near as big as her one previously in Boston, but it was another change that was easy enough to get used to. Knowing that her father was now literally only blocks away instead of an hour over stretches of miles made it all worth it in her opinion.

Thinking of her father as she went about rearranging her things in the dead of night made her heart swell with a happiness she thought was long forgotten. Despite his current ill state-though he seemed to be bouncing back almost the same as before, along with their inability to see eye to eye from time to time in all honesty... Belle’s father looked the happiest she’d seen him in ages. His wide beaming smiles over her random visits and surprise joined lunches made her very happy as well-the happiest she'd been in a while herself. Deep down she hoped this was a sign that there could be a good new turn in their relationship as years of unsaid things still hovered between them... Maybe, with some time and their stubbornness pushed aside they could finally put to rest some things that continued to haunt them far from their old home in Australia.

Surprisingly that wasn't the only thing putting pep back into the beauty's step that she'd begun to realize had been missing for a while. Including the advantage with her new apartment and the ease settling between her and her father it was also a nice change to see some familiar faces out and about town instead of walking through a complete sea of strangers. Several times the beauty found herself being stopped down the street by surprised acquaintances, previous classmates, and people she knew but could only slightly recall (probably due to too many years with her face nose first in a book). No one seemed to comment really on her whole up and leaving from Storybrooke after high-school as most other kids had too after all. Nor did anyone really pester too much into her life currently, and for that she was grateful. Despite being very friendly and somewhat unconventional in nature she was far too eager to blend in and not stick out like a sore thumb.

Oddly enough it had never been that way for her-even with a small town like this one constantly amuck with gossip to fill in the void of any actual news... Back when she and her father had first moved to the quaint Maine town no one had tried to bother into their business-even with them being two peculiar Australians who had packed up and left everything behind. Perhaps on a more realistic note it had just not been to their faces as there'd been quite a few strange stares and glances tossed her way... Still, seldom few had ever been brave enough to ask such invasive questions to her directly, questions like...  
  
_'Why did you and your dad move here to the states exactly?'_

 _'How come you don't talk much about your old home, Belle?'_  
  
_'You're such a young thing to be out here by yourself... Where on earth is your mother?’_

No, now was not the time for such dark thoughts-not tonight, especially when there was so much good to be thinking of instead. So Belle stood up from her second hand couch and went about emptying her mug in kitchen sink, washing away those thoughts along with the remains of her long gone cold tea.

Ignoring the painful tightness building in her chest the young woman went to rinsing the mug, savoring the warm water as her inner thoughts began to drift over to her new job like they had been doing constantly all week. Belle couldn't help but muse over what most of the town would think when they got word of it-if they didn’t already know, which she doubted they didn't. Once more in a town like this it was impressive if you could keep anything secret or confidential, more so when you were an 'peculiarity' against the norm. It was only a matter of time before she’d be teased and questionably concerned over by some of the folk... As sad as that was almost all the people she crossed paths with spoke, whether unintentionally or not, that they didn't think she was capable of handling being a security guard...

Then again it’d been that way her entire life with near about everything which frustrated her to no end. 

With a tight frown forming on her fair face the berated beauty stood back and crossed her arms as if in defiance against the world. True, she'd always been underestimated-had always been told what was best for her from other people who didn’t even know what it was like to walk a mile in her shoes-had constantly been nudged or pointed towards what others thought she should be instead of what she wanted to be... Even now her blood was boiling just thinking of it!

‘Not that I care what they think... No one decides my fate but me!’ The deceleration rang loudly within Belle's head in time with her now clean mug as it 'clinked' when she placed it upon the drying rack.

How amusing to her now were those silly words she had constantly spewed forth as a child. Little Belle years ago had often proclaimed she would soon be out in the big wide world doing amazing things, seeing all the incredible sights she'd dreamed of, and pretty much escaping the limitations everyone always perceived a motherless girl from a broken family would have. Then again were they so wrong with how she turned out? Here she was... Once again stuck in Storybrooke-not even working as the town librarian like one would think with her degree... No, of all places she was working as a night guard at fantasy themed family fun center in the dead of night to an empty building in the middle of nowhere Maine.

“Well, at least I’m still making my own choices, even if I'm stuck inside a pizzeria... My choice is mine and no one else's, no matter where I might be.” The blue eyed beauty muttered to herself before she returned to working on unpacking her things from the few stacks of her belongings. There was much to be done yet in moving in and more-not to mention tomorrow was the big day-or night more accurately. She wanted to get as much done as possible before spare time in between would be even harder to find.

Tomorrow, hah-it was still too hard for Belle to believe even now as she smiled to herself in growing excitement... But as weird as it was, it was true-it was _real_...

The next night she'd be working her first shift at Avonlea.

—————

As long as it felt Sunday night blurred by eventually.

The hours slipped past Belle in haze of tiredness-aided mostly by her pure determination, straight into Monday morning before the auburn haired beauty finally caved into sleep. Bright summer sunshine slipped in between her bedroom curtains early on as she slept, making the few hours of rest she got strange and strained. It resulted in her waking up and feeling hardly rested despite her best attempt to do so.

‘I better get used to being worn out in the mornings.’ She thought to herself as she went about untangling herself from the soft sheets of her bed. 'Or forgetting what even mornings look like, yikes.' It was strange seeing the time on her alarm clock beside her bed read late morning-nearly midday. She had never been too much of a morning person-just the same as most everyone else she'd like to think, yet she was also not used to sleeping in this late either.

The reason for all this-of her new job, began to return to her mind as she rose from bed while fighting off the last remnants of sleep. Within minutes she was going about what her usual 'mornings' were in her new apartment-though she was still getting the hand of the new layout around her. Much to her dismay lots of things were still in boxes, and she’d try her best to make sure all her things were at least out of the cardboard so it could be thrown out with the rest of the trash. Under her breath she thanked her boss from the extra time off from her other job, her library position at a college within Boston, because it had been just what she had needed. Her older employer had been lenient with her hours and move considering how long she'd been working there... Still, Belle sighed when she realized she was going to have to get used to these two odd sets of hours now for both jobs. 

After that the day itself flew by before she knew where it'd even gone. With her main objective getting her place cleaned up, popping up over at the flower shop to check on her dad, and getting ready for her new job she was in a flurry of activity.

That evening, however, turned out to be one of the longest Belle had ever had to endure.

It was mind numbingly boring (even tiring to a degree) doing nothing but waiting for when she could change into her new uniform, provided kindly by Mr. Getto, and head on out. Weeks ago at this time she would be crawling into bed or at least laying in it while she read a book to try to ease herself to sleep, but now here she sat at the edge of her couch, half watching some late evening science program on the TV talk about electro magnetic pulses and side-eyeing her cell phone every now and then. The increase to the beat of her heart at least reminded her that she was excited about this first night on the job, perhaps if she was honest with herself... A bit nervous too.

As if picking up on that very emotion Belle’s phone suddenly began to ring a musical little jingle, startling her while she was preoccupied finishing up folding some laundry. Quickly she fumbled off the couch and snagged her cell phone off the coffee-table, catching a glimpse of the caller ID displaying ‘Marco Getto’.

“Hello?” Belle answered as she attempted to return to folding her laundry, angling the phone against her ear in the crook of her neck.

“Hello-Hello Mrs. French!” Mr. Getto's voice cheerily spoke through the speaker. Belle noticed that his accent was somehow thicker over the phone and quite a bit harder to understand-especially with the sound of what had to be a whirring vacuum in the background. “I just wanted to call to let you know that the crew and I will be getting out a little late tonight, but we should be gone by the time you get here, so the place will be all yours. Also I forgot to tell you something very important the other day-there's the new security code for the alarm system since it just changed for the month. You'll need it to disarm the alarms, rearm them, or more importantly to even get into the building in the first place.”

"My job  _would_ be a lot easier if I could guard Avonlea from the inside and not the outside." Belle joked, earning a somewhat tired laugh from her employer. "If you have it on hand I'll just write it down and keep it on me till I get it memorized."

When a pen and scrap of paper was in her grasp Marco told her the number and Belle wrote it down, then immediately stuffed it into the maw of her purse for safe keeping.

“With that done now everything should go smoothly for you tonight. Oh! One last thing I meant to talk to you about before you go. As you probably already know, Avonlea will 'creak' and 'groan' somewhat at night, but you have nothing to worry about. Due to the renovations the building is still settling, some walls are taking their time to adjust with the foundation is all. With my current loss of guards week after week I even decided to stay the night here myself to see if anything was amiss, and gladly I can say nothing abnormal of the sort happened."

Belle rolled her eyes, finding some amusement in the bizarre case of the former guards continually chickening out and practically running from Avonlea with their tails in between their legs. Having spent a good two hours in the new building already Belle didn't find anything wrong with it at all-the place always had a comforting presence to her ever since she was a kid. In fact... If there was anything else to be felt than her mild nervousness and excitement it was a slight pang of hurt that Belle didn't recognize when she thought about those long ago memories of that lonely summer. It was the oddest thing she'd experienced all day, and deep down she knew somehow it had to do with something beyond the nostalgia of Avonlea.

But, try as she might she couldn't place what it was.

Pulling herself back to the present and ignoring the quiver in her chest Belle let a smile break across her fair features while she spoke. “I’m sure I’ll be just fine, but thanks for the precautions. It’s not my first time being stuck in a new building at night-no 'creaking' ceilings are going to scare me off.”

“That's very good to hear! Though... If you truly feel as if something is wrong please don’t ever hesitate to call me or the police station.” Mr. Getto spoke seriously, his voice almost taking on an worrisome hint when the sound of the guzzling vacuum in the background cut off. “Even if it’s in the middle of your shift the sheriff or I will be more than willing to come to your aid if anything were to happen.”

“Thank you... Let’s just hope there won’t be any need for that.”

Knowing Storybrooke, the likely hood was beyond slim, but the young woman took comfort in her boss's words.

Marco gave another soft tired laugh at that, but it seemed there conversation had come to an end. “Yes, let’s hope not. In the meantime take care Ms. French! And remember-you are now a face of Avonlea Family Fun Center!”

After their short goodbyes Belle ended their call, having wished her employer well for the few hours of his day left with the push of a button. The phone clattered as she set it back onto her coffee-table, and with a slightly worn sigh she stretched and started to move about, putting her laundry basket with now nicely folded clothes to her room. In the dimness of that very room the alarm clock sitting faithfully at her end table shined its red LED lights for her to see, telling her the current time was now a bit past 11 PM.

'Wow-time's moving faster than I thought, I better get ready-I can't be late for my first night.'

However, her previous nervousness in the day light hours found itself returning, the squirming in the pit of her stomach picking back up. The auburn beauty chose to push it back down though, and focused instead on getting changed from her pajamas. There was no way she was going to let herself chicken out on her first night let alone end up running away in the dead of night as all the previous guards had. It was completely ridiculous that so many had fled their positions that Mr. Getto himself had to spend the night there just to make sure nothing fishy was going on behind the scenes... Perhaps by sticking to her vow as a night guard she'd be the one to finally show them all that there was and _had_ _been_ nothing to fear.

A smirk curled up high on her lips at that thought, oh-she'd take great pride in laying to rest the rumored 'ghosts' that supposedly haunted the very dark halls she was about to confidently walk through.

With that the anxiousness she'd felt was completely cast aside, for it was finally time to dawn on her new uniform and take up the title 'security guard' once again.

—————

The continual whir of tires against pavement came to an end once the puttering vehicle reached its intended destination. In the back end of Avonlea's parking lot a white small car came to a stop near the building before taking the parking space beneath the sole street light that clung to the curbside.

As the driver's door popped open Ms. French stepped out, her foot falls rather loud against the peace that was thickly draped about the slumbering town. Locking her car after shutting the door Belle listened to the 'ring' of her car alarm split the air a brief moment before it quieted back down. There was little light for the young woman to see by as she approached the backdoor, but that didn't stop her in the slightest... Even if the sky above her head was terribly dark with sickly looking clouds that were only pushed back by the nearby buzzing street light and the almost full moon. It wasn't the most 'preferred' backdrop she'd been hoping she'd have on a night like tonight, but still, she'd hardly let the equally eerie weather break her stride.

After rolling her shoulders to unwind a bit Belle pulled out her new key to the building and entered the backdoor just as she had been instructed to do so. The door creaked on its hinges-a sound akin to a groan in her opinion, as she stepped inside, swiftly locking it behind her. With the new pass-code she'd been provided it was easy enough to tend to the alarm system which cooperated wonderfully in securing the establishment once more.

It just took a minute though for Belle's ears to become sensitive to the thick silence that was suddenly surrounding her again-except heavier and almost like it was... Alive. Since Avonlea closed at ten the building had been well abandoned about a little under two hours ago and thus had become empty of all sounds of life. Listening to it now, it was a definite change of pace from the open hours full of various sounds and laughter she'd been exposed to. The only kind she was used to she added internally as an after thought.

But no-not even the eerie air settled over everything was anything worth bailing first day and running back home for.

Regardless a slight chill went up her arms when she stood at the back door on her lonesome, staring into the all consuming blackness. With a weary sigh Belle was quick to berate herself for getting nervous so soon when she’d barely made it down the hall. Surely it was only getting to her because it was the first night in a 'new' place... Not to mention she’d only been in the recently remodeled building in the last fourteen years twice with one tour-in the daylight she might add. It would take necessary time for her to gain a foothold of the vast building with its looming shadows and unending darkness. After all, that was the case every other night guard had to deal with when working a new night shift.

The logical thoughts helped her courage return and then some, leaving the security guard to attempt navigating through the winding corridors ahead. Carefully placed steps lead her to her office without any major issues or her stumbling into a wall face first upon getting turned around. Inside the room came to life before her eyes with a flick of a switch as the ceiling bulb instantly lit up the granite grey walls, shifting their colder color to a more warm yellow hue. The beauty couldn't help but smile a bit more at the cozy atmosphere the office held- _her_ office held, and so she gladly made herself right at home right away.

Going about setting her bag down and removing her light jacket it was then the security guard took in her new uniform for the fifth time, still attempting to get used to the novelty of it.

"I really don't get what the point of matching clothes is when I'm the only one here..." She mumbled to herself aloud, repeating the sentiment from earlier when she'd first put the garb on. Those blue eyes of hers drifted casually over the fine wrinkle-less lines of her outfit as she swept her tied up hair back over her shoulder. The uniform itself was not near as colorful or costume like as the servers and day time workers-it was a simple white dress shirt with pockets, regular dark grey pants that were comfortable and easy to move in, a pair of sturdy boots she still kept from her previous shift as a security guard, and a new visor like cap with the ‘AVONLEA’ logo patched onto it.

Everything about it was completely fine, welcomed in fact, but then there had been the bow-tie… Ruby would be in stitches if she were to see the ridiculous thing, and Belle decided she would not let her friend know about this obnoxious red piece of fabric tied under her collar and sticking out like a red beacon for people to locate her from a mile away.

'Oh well, it could have been worse...' The beauty shook her head to no one at all, but with that motion she noticed, as she left her jacket on the back of the office chair, a little package set on the wide table to the side of the computer (an ancient thing that was more ridiculous looking than her bow-tie). Huddle together in the middle of the pile was a tablet like device sitting in a electronic dock with a little sticky note on it too. There was also a tall energy drink, some paperwork she knew she'd need to finish up tonight for Mr. Getto, and a sturdy looking flashlight laying off to the side. Eagerly Belle peeled away the sticky note from the device first, studying the scrawled words written out in a neat handwriting with a feminine tone. It was obviously not Mr. Getto’s nearly un-legible handwriting she'd seen before.

‘Wishing you the best of luck to our newest crew member! There is coffee available in the break room if you need it, though I recommend you brew some instead of drinking that stuff from the vending machine. If not we also provided an energy drink that might suffice for your first night-enjoy! From-The Court of AVONLEA.’

It was a thoughtful gesture, despite the fact the monstrous sized energy drink made Belle nauseous just by looking at it. She'd never been too fond of such super sweet things and so she set it aside-in case of a dire energy emergency. 

Letting her eyes wander back over to the rest of the provided things she found the tablet device catch her interest again, and she took it in both hands while she sat down in the swivel chair, easily finding the 'on' switch. Marco had talked about the device in their interview of sorts and had given her a simple tutorial over operating it. Sure enough she found it was fairly easy to navigate the program right away. By pressing the ‘on’ button the screen flashed to life while it made a booting up ‘jingle’, resulting in the appearance of a map of the building. This map, she studied throughly before continuing, displayed the layout of the building with every room being specifically labeled and had circles pinpointing where the all the cameras were located.

A dainty finger pressed the circle right outside her own office on the touch screen and the feed from the camera popped up right away.

First thing she noticed was the camera had somewhat of a night vision, a necessary addition if she were to even see anything or anyone in such darkness, as it caused the images to take on a greenish hue. And just as she expected the video feed she'd clicked showed the empty hall right outside where she sat with nothing unusual of the sort within the camera's sight.

‘That’s really handy, and the tablet is portable so it makes it even easier to keep an eye out on the building.’ Belle thought, once again impressed with the changes and technology around Avonlea from the one she knew long ago. For a while she just sat bent over in her chair and flipped through all the cameras, hoping to memorize which rooms had one just incase she needed it for future reasons. When she was done distracting herself the security guard put the tablet into sleep mode and back down on the desk.

Leaning back into her somewhat squeaky chair Belle was simply left to look about the quaint small space and all the little details her office had to offer.

So… This was it. Her vigilant watch over an empty family fun pizzeria of sorts would consist of just sitting alone in a tiny little room for six hours. No, it wasn't the most exciting work she’d done so far in her life, but it could hardly be called the worst given the conditions.

Still, Belle kept herself busy by turning to face the desk and taking care of her awaiting paperwork first thing. Once that meticulous task had been finished after thirty minutes or so she went back to messing around with the tablet some more, testing out the other applications which seemed to be able to monitor other aspects of the building. When even that grew old the security guard checked her phone from her pocket and found a new message from Ruby in her inbox saying she was ‘wishing her the best of luck and for her to kick some bad guy butt’. Belle could only roll her eyes at that with a quirky smile and thank her friend with a reply message.

Well within an hour, after the paperwork had all been conquered and the tablet throughly examined, Belle was left bouncing up and down in her swivel chair in building boredom. Yet, as always her curiosity was bubbling up at the idea of exploring the vast place at night so she gave in to its pleading rather quickly with nothing better to do. Taking her flashlight in hand she got out of her chair and began her adventure out in the halls, trying to recall where certain places were in relation to her from the map of the security cameras.

Though Avonlea still ebbed comfort to her thanks to nostalgia's sake she had to admit after wandering a while through the dark corridors that the place did kind of have a creepy vibe to it at night. The posters displayed upon the walls out in the party room almost seemed ominous with the animatronic faces plastered on them that appeared thanks to her wandering flashlight, and Belle got the willies when she glanced at the very animatronic figures all slumped over and lifeless backstage when she had taken a peak behind the large curtains. Their semi cute mechanical faces were all void of any activity while they leaned forward on their metal stands-like lifeless dolls with no souls of their one. It was rather silly, but she feared if she approached them to get a better look they'd suddenly spring to life as her luck would have it and frighten her terribly. 

With such unnerving thoughts the security guard hastily darted out from behind those curtains with a grimace on her face. Maybe it was best not to go snooping back there again till she was far more comfortable about where she roamed-and what lurked within it.

After continuing to wander around a while more, walking the entire building at least once in her drive to examine this isolated fantasy world, she could feel the adrenaline fueled energy she’d built up finally wearing down. With that and her inquiring nature satisfied for the time being she finally convinced herself to return to her office.

Despite her small adventure and exploration of Avonlea the clock hanging above the old computer read that it was only five minutes past three when she came back. A dejected sigh escaped Belle's flush lips with her finally realizing that perhaps this shift wasn’t going to be what it was cracked up to be. It was more than just the boredom that had a slight itch bothering the soles of her restless feet, there was something... Off, with everything-her gut told her somehow. Even though she had walked the entire place, gone through every open room she could find, and looked inside each without hesitation, she hadn't noticed a single strange thing... And yet the worrisome feeling remained there in the back of her mind.

‘Why does Marco think this place really needs a security guard at night?’ Belle questioned within herself while swirling aimlessly about in a circle upon her chair a bit childishly. Surely because of the cameras and the alarm system there was no need for a real human to sit back in an office and do little of anything except possibly nap in this very seat-or on the couch which was much more snug and comfortable looking at this point in time. Try as she might to understand she knew there was no point in really thinking upon the reasonings for this job like she was. Her confusion remained despite that, though the young woman folded her arms and set them behind her head as she stared at the ceiling tiles above... Allowing her weary mind to wander on to other things.

With most of her jittery vibes spent and a sense of tiredness settling in her bones, the security guard was near tempted by the energy drink that she'd left on the side of her desk. Even then, for she was getting sleepy-that was no lie, Belle still felt no urge to torment her tongue with such a foul tasting drink. Coffee and more preferably tea were her favored beverages-the only person she knew who easily chugged down drinks like that as if they were nothing was Ruby and-

_**'SCRREEEEEEEECHHHHHH-'** _

Suddenly a horrible sound of metal upon metal rattled down the hall, almost causing Ms. French to bang her knees on the bottom of the desk when she jumped in fright.

After physically flinching thanks to the harsh noise Belle instantly whirled about in her chair to face the open door of her office with a frightened look spread across her face. Seconds went by after the loud awful sound's echo fell away, but Belle didn’t move from the fear cementing her in place upon the chair's cushion.

‘Get a grip,’ She thought to herself as the rate of her heart eased back down with the silence that spanned alongside her in the following seconds. ‘It might have just been a pipe or some piece of equipment faltering... That was loud though-Mr. Getto mentioned there'd be sounds, but he didn't forewarn me exactly about that.’

After ten long minutes with nothing else disturbing the peace in Avonlea Belle calmed down entirely and felt only a slight unease in the back of her mind.

At least she was going to remain wide awake now despite the boring slow night thanks to that. Sure enough, time moved on with just the same silence as before its unwelcome interruption, and soon Belle found it nearly six in the morning when she checked the soft ticking clock after having organized the pencil drawer in the desk out of little else to do. Only twenty minutes had to go by until she could time out and go home to get a bit of shut eye before checking on her dad and darting to Boston for her other job. Feeling a bit elated by that Belle gathered up her paperwork in hand, deciding she’d simply leave it in Marco’s office so he’d be able to deal with it when he got there in just little over an hour.

Despite her former bravery returning the beauty still peaked out over the door frame down the dark halls with the beam of her new flashlight. When all seemed fine-nothing appearing or skittering by in the ebbing glow, she began her slow walk to the bosses office with her sturdy tool in hand illuminating her steps.

The darkness was pervasive still even with the small circle of light guiding her way. One would think a building like this would have some extra low lights to at least keep it from becoming entirely consumed by the encroaching shadows but Mr. Getto had spoke of how ‘conserving power’ was something he’d like to be kept in mind during the night time. Earlier Belle had found out in her wanderings that the main power was in fact limited after hours so as not to waste money in unnecessary avenues when she bothered some light switches. Not that she didn't understand that-it made perfect logical sense from one point of view, but Belle would have very much liked at least liked something more than a battery powered flashlight to make venturing around in this place she was supposed to protect… More appealing. 

Continuing on she noticed that when walking to Marco’s office it required the security guard to pass a large pane window that shown into the large fantasy themed play area for the kids. Belle paused for a moment in curiosity, squinting her eyes to glance through the glass into the dark room that sent a small chill up her spine from how she could make out so little in there. At least there were no human shaped objects or figures to startle her like the animatronics had back stage...

"Best not to peer too hard unless I _want_ to spook myself." She warned herself under her breath before she turned away, striding further into the bleak hall.

When the paperwork was delivered and set on Mr. Getto’s desk Belle decided she'd have enough time left to do another sweep of the cameras with the tablet before slowly packing up to leave for the night-day-whatever time it was really considered anymore. ‘Good job Belle. First night down with only four more to go-you'll have made it to Friday before you know it.’ She had mused to herself, growing pleasantly proud of how she handled everything so far compared to her predecessors. More than ever she was set on making it through the week-several weeks in fact, but it was helpful to think about how she wasn't going to be stuck working at Avonlea for a long while. This was just a job to get by with till a better opportunity opened up in Storybrooke or in another town close by after all... Hopefully something with her actual major this time.

Yet, her face fell a bit as she wandered back towards her office, minding the beam illuminating her way across the black and white checkerboard tiles. Avonlea had only been a part of her life for such a short while, but she felt sorrow for not having returned as a youth for whatever reason that had kept her away-her father had never cared for the place she recalled... But what made her feel even more guilty was delighting in leaving it-even though it was only a building that had housed her as a lonely child for a short summer or so.

'Perhaps I should stay here for a while longer than I thought since Mr. Getto is having a rough time keeping any hired help...' The beauty concluded within her head while tucking her lip between her teeth out of habit when in deep thought. 'Maybe I'll be able to show everyone in town there is nothing to worry about once I'm done working here after some time-then he'll be able to find some more permanent night guard who won't scurry off at the slightest sound and will make sure Avonlea is all right.'

The thought was a much more positive one, making her hurried steps down the hall a bit slower in pace as she continued to mull about the idea. However, it was then that the young woman was passing by the glass window again while tending more to her thoughts than glancing about... Though they flickered into the murky pane of glass for a quick split second...

Nothing happened until after a few steps more... When her work boots came to a sudden halt side by side, freezing her in place down the narrow hall. Belle blinked as she stood perfectly still, feeling the hairs on the nape of her neck stand up as well as her skin pebble with spreading goosebumps.

‘That wasn’t my imagination just messing with my sleepy consciousness… Was it?’

Even without her looking back into that abyss consuming the room she had passed by... Her skin crawled in rising nervousness, her breath picking up speed in time with her racing heart...

For when she had looked into the window...  
  
She had felt she had glimpsed the shape of a person standing on the other side.

Fear coursed through her veins and skin in a mighty surge, nearly paralyzing her entire body on the spot with the ‘what if’s’ and horrifying possibilities. Yet, the bravery of her heart tore through the fear tightly winding itself across her chest enough that she darted back to the slab of safety glass so fast it would have been impossible for any person to have snuck away in that time.

But... There was no one there. Even with her flashlight beaming brightly so she could see well into the room with its ball pit and play equipment it only prooved it was completely empty of any person possibly hiding or squatting within...

Why then... Had she felt the intense presence of another person just beyond that wall then?

‘Oh gosh, I'm letting the dark get to me. Stop it! This is only your first day-you're just tired and seeing things!’ Belle huffed at herself while she fumbled with the flashlight before finally gripping it in a much steadier hand. When she had calmed somewhat down she forced her stiff feet to lead her back to her office- not once risking a glance to the window out of fear of actually seeing something staring back through this time.

Once she'd settled back down in her office six in the morning rolled around before she had too much time to think about what had happened or what she had felt further. With a satisfied smile Belle let herself clock out right on time before grabbing her bag and few things and then daring the empty hallways again to reach the backdoor. There she easily rearmed the security system upon exiting, and lastly locked the building up behind herself on the way out. The feeling of creepy crawlies continued to currently wriggling across the back of her neck even being outside, but she felt satisfied with her responses to her new... Partially eerie environment and her ability to endure the nervousness that had washed over her from time to time. Thinking about how so many people had quit this job just because of a few odd noises just seemed even more ridiculous to her now after having experience it herself...

Okay... The 'screech' had been strange and a bit alarming-she had to give it that, but hardly something unexplainable or worth thrusting a 'notice of leave' beneath Mr. Getto's front door... Though the young woman had to admit she was still fumbling for a real good answer.

Regardless, the thought of being the brave bold hero of a silly little Pizzeria-admittedly an idea that sounded even sillier to herself spoken aloud, that had people far more formidable than her scurrying off made her sure she would be back tomorrow ready to handle the challenge. After all she was a  _French_ , breaking the norm and expectations of others was a usual running trait well throughout the family's history.

So it was with that she got into her car, forgetting all the unnerving or worrisome feelings she'd experienced tonight in favor of her plans for the upcoming sun lit hours drawing closer by.

But...It was as Belle was driving off from the empty dark building, headed towards home to get some sound sleep to prepare for what she believed to be another normal day in her ordinary life that she missed something very important...

The shape of a figure wandering past the pane of a window within Avonlea.

—————

Strangely enough everything continued to go on just as smooth, or even smoother than Belle's first night on the job the few following days.

Tuesday and Wednesday night had both went by so fast and absolutely fine she wondered perhaps if what she'd experienced first night had even really happened at all. Despite the occasional strange noise that occurred in those two six hour shifts nothing worse than the loud screech she'd heard previously had reared itself. Nor had the beauty felt any weird vibes like she had at the glass pane those two nights either... But even with all that the ever so strange sensation as if she wasn't entirely... Alone, persisted in pestering the back of her mind. However, it was too ridiculous to think that somehow she wasn't by herself in a tightly locked up building with security cameras easily showing the floor and building for her to see. If someone was there she'd have know for sure by now, and that made going back for the security guard's remaining shifts easy enough for her to do.

Though if anything was truly troubling her it was that Belle was finding it much harder than she thought at adjusting to having such a random sleeping pattern. Her usual bright cheery blue eyes had grown more lidded and glazed over as the week progressed, much to her dismay upon looking back at them in the mirror. That optimistic overall spirit she was known for was becoming a tad worn and stretched too, yet her pride and stubbornness was seeing to it that she’d not fail even with the lack of proper rest. The paycheck for this job would be in her bank account by Saturday night so she really only had to push on through tonight and tomorrow for the reward of it all, then she’d only have to work Saturday at her first job and enjoy her peaceful Sunday off.

Yet, her exhaustion hadn't gone unnoticed by everyone-even her father could see it despite how well she tried to hide it as they ate lunch-more or less her breakfast together that following Thursday afternoon. They were tucked away in his apartment, eating a simple meal Belle had cooked that was probably more green than Moe had eaten in a long time or would have liked to from the look on his face. It was just how it had to be-he was still having to be very careful even after being out of the hospital for quite a few days incase anything might cause another near heart attack like he'd almost experienced. Of course the doctors had told both him and Belle herself that a lifestyle change was absolutely necessary for him to improve, and it set the young woman firmly on helping him start his new diet as well as healthier habits right away.

Even if meant hearing him grumble very audibly to find his packet of cigarettes in the trash.

It was as she was thinking these things over at that table for two that her father spoke up, shifting the quiet air around them. Those worn eyes of hers drifted up from where they had been stuck peering at the food on her plate to him across from her alongside his persistent frown.

“Belle, you look exhausted-I shouldn’t have had you make lunch.” It was strange how he sounded so worried for her when it should very much be the other way around given the circumstances they were going through.

“Nonsense,” The young woman responded with a tired but true smile curling up on her lips-noticing how her father was pecking at the lean vegetable stir fry with less enthusiasm than before. “I needed to eat something good too-I've been eating out too much as of late since the move and everything, and you-you need to eat something wholesome as well... By that I mean food that is not instant or solely from a can either.”

Her father seemed to grow a bit ashamed at that, and Belle wondered when it was he last ate something that wasn’t fried or prepackaged, let alone when he'd even had a proper home cooked meal. Yet, she knew it wasn't like he had much reason to do so. It was just him in this two bedroom apartment above his shop after all, he didn't need to go about making much if it was just for one person.

And just like that-there it was... Always lingering about even years later when time had moved on... The ever so stifling thoughts of the third person that should have been seated at the table with them.

“I'm just a bit worried for you is all-are you sure your new job is going to work out?" He sounded sure in his question, like what he said she should be agreeing with, and it made her bite back a bit of irritation at her old man. "You could always work in my shop again, or I could talk to one of my buddies and see if you could get an easy office job with some firm in town. I'm sure you have plenty of experience to do a secretary position or something of the sort.”

Belle sighed softly to release the inner frustrations bubbling up and shook her head in a reassuring manner, hoping to coax her father into dropping the subject. “I just got to get used to the change in my sleeping schedule first, and trust me when I say that I can do that. After all, I had too many late nights in college than I care to remember just trying to keep up with my classes, so I’ll be back to myself in no time.”

Moe French stared at his plate as if the bunch of green softened broccoli would soon suddenly rear back and strike at his pestering fork for prodding at it so. Yet, his voice was far less of the man she had been use to hearing when she was a child when he glanced up at her. “I’m sorry about this, you having to move back here... You deserve so much better than to be stuck taking care of your old man.”

“Dad…” Belle hadn’t expected that sudden statement-it caught her entirely off guard and blew away all the minor annoyances she felt like they were straw in the wind. Quietly she set down her fork and reached over the table to set her hand on his in a reassuring way. When it seemed to have reached him she withdrew, watching as he finally took a stab at the offending greenery on his plate and bring it to his mouth. “If you’re talking about what I think you’re talking about I suggest you drop it because whether you like it or not-we’re family and I’m not going to abandon you. If that means some late night shifts to help you out then so be it. If I was the one who was sick you'd be working day and night for me... I know that, just like how you tried for mo-”

Moe suddenly coughed then, a loud racking sound that made her own insides ache. Nearly jumping out of her chair to run to his side Belle flew into a worked frenzy, worried that maybe he was going to go through a fit right there at the dining room table.

“No I’m okay-" He managed between the coughs and gasps, looking red faced but completely fine-if only betrayed by the bite of broccoli that had its final bit of revenge. “Just got caught up in the moment.” He joked and a few moments later finally settled back down while Belle returned to her own chair, watching him ever vigilantly. Once he had seemed to regain proper control of his lungs her father spoke, sounding thoughtful amidst the still air of his apartment hanging over head.“I simply wonder sometimes how I raised such a strong girl… I know I haven’t always been the most understanding man but you turned out such an amazing person despite all you've gone through... She'd be very proud you know, to see what a fine woman you've become.”

Belle had to blink back the tears that tried to sneak past her eyes at his words-their weight far too meaningful and needed at this point in her life. Instead of letting them flow she turned her attention to stabbing at a green bean on her plate with her fork, all while unable to waver the quivering smile tugging at her lips.  
  
“Oh stop it-you know I did get my strong will and stubbornness from you after all, but I’m glad I’ve made you proud... And I do hope her too... As for my part time job right now it’s only temporary since I'm just waiting for the possibility of something better and closer to pop up. Trust me, as much as I like Avonlea I don’t want to be a night guard there for the rest of my life, though I will say working there isn't terrible... I quite like the peace and quiet.”

'Even if it is a bit lonely, but that's nothing new for me is it...' She thought melancholy to herself while chewing a bite, but she dared not voice that reoccurring feeling incase she sounded foolish to her father-what did she suspect working by herself at a family fun center in the dead of night after all.

“So... You really like being a night guard, huh? I just don't quite get it-I still say you should take a chance and let me contact one of my buddies who runs the law firm down the street...” The beauty had to sight quietly again as her father continued on, speaking of opportunities she had no interest in when she already had a job doing her well. While her father may have been proud of her, he never understand her answer on things like this-something she just had to get use to as much as it bothered her sometimes. “You know what if someone really ever did break into that pizza joint, how are you going-" He attempted to go on, but she quickly pointed her utensil at him in small jabbing motions to quiet him down so they could eventually eat their meal.

“Just finish off your broccoli.” Belle released a small exhausted laugh as he went back to frowning at the remaining food sitting on his plate, and all she could do was shake her head. “For a man who likes flowers and plants you sure are bias against vegetables.”

—————

Thursday evening rolled around and the thought of one more day before her first week at Avonlea was over made it easier for Belle to endure.

Despite being tired and growing ever more ready for the weekend to catch up on her missing hours of sleep Belle still felt energized when she rolled up to Avonlea right before midnight. The building was quiet, dark, and vacant of other life just the same as usual when she entered to go about her nightly routine... Somehow though the strange sense of presence lingering in the rooms tonight felt even worse than before after traversing down its dim halls. Belle tried her best to rationalize it, and with practiced ease she pushed the worry aside as the night guard got set up in her office for the rest of her shift. With little to do now at day four, for the pencil tray in the desk was as organized as it would ever be, she had thought ahead of time to bring some form of entertainment since she highly doubted there would suddenly be a flurry of activity raging around Avonlea…

At least she most certainly hoped not.

The fairly large book Belle set out before her had her completely engrossed upon opening its slightly worn cover and aged pages. Earlier in the day the tale set before her had taken a darker turn that was making saving the day look bleak for the main character. Now it had her scouring each line in anticipation for the next unexpected twist to befall him in his journey. At least she'd managed to keep herself in a routine so she’d not be completely failing her job and be reading the entire night instead of guarding like she was paid to do. The plan was simple-read two pages, check the security cameras, then repeat the process all over again.

Eventually though... This process began to fail as one could predict with someone too easily drawn to the written word. After a short while two pages slowly became four, which then jumped up to six followed by a glance at the cameras, which then became an entire chapter before she gave one final peek up at the tablet that sat purring away in its dock.

By the time Belle had gotten midway through the lengthy book that had her hungry for more it was already four in the morning.

She realized this suddenly when she peeked up from the tantalizing pages and found she hadn’t check the cameras for nearly thirty minutes straight. “Oh…” She mumbled out loud to herself, quickly going over to tap at the screen of her device in order to do a quick sweep. Yet, just like it had been before there was nothing strange or out of the usual at all when the screens fired back up. Not that she had suddenly been expecting anything to be there to startle her... Like for a example a horrible face like the sickly looking one just mentioned in her book to pop up on screen.

The mere thought of that happening unnerved her, causing the beauty to put the the tablet back to sleep mode quickly after.

Despite the anxiety that such a thing would happen now it didn’t, and with that Belle decided a quick stroll around the building as well as a stop by the break room for a cup of warm coffee was the best solution for her rapidly growing nervousness. The hallway echoed with the 'patter' of her steps when she walked from room to room with flashlight in hand, glancing through the play area windows and behind the party room doors. Deciding she'd take the long way around to the break room the security guard changed her route, wanting to ensure that her job was being done right-that no one had _somehow_ snuck in on her watch. As she went her round Belle still found no one hiding in the thick shadows or waiting to jump her at any second like she 'knew' she wouldn't.

Overall her fear began to fall away once the young woman made it to the larger more open portion of the building. Mild boredom had her stop to study the arcade area tucked in the corner from the play room, her blue eyes glancing about the games to see if she recognized any of them from her youth. To her glee her favorite machine ‘Ms. Pacman’, the very same cabinet she had fed so many quarters to in the span of one summer, was still up and running despite having been moved, and that made her smile widely from the precious memories.

Darting across tables and chairs her flashlight’s beam flickered from the rows of game cabinets then to the wide stage. There it landed upon the animatronic dragon that lay 'sleeping' as it always did when no show was going on upon its perched rock. Drawn to it Belle bounced up the stage steps and stood on the wooden platform before looking out to the empty chairs where just a few hours ago kids had no doubt sat in awe of the evening show along with dragon itself after having stuffed themselves with delicious pizza and sugary snacks.

But, the vacant floor soon began to change within her mind as she studied it further. An audience emerged from within the darkness-imaginary shapes and shadows filling in every seat and awaiting excitedly for the guard to begin her great debut performance. It was such an silly childish thing to imagine, her getting to be an actor of sorts to this nonexistent crowd. Belle had to blush at no one at all to the growing urge to do just that, but after tucking her curls back behind her head she dared herself on, stepping forward from the center of the stage.

“Once Upon A Time in a land unlike any other-in a place of swords and sorcery...” Belle spoke in a soft timbre, though it was loud enough it rung through the room. Instantly it amused herself with how ridiculous she was being-surely she'd look like a fool upon the camera's recorded footage later, but if she was pretending to give a performance just for her own amusement there was no harm in it, right? So with that the beauty let her free hand rise and help enunciate her words while her steps pulled her about the edge of the stage to draw the attention of her fabricated onlookers.

“There was a noble knight on a quest, seeking to find a magical cure for her ailing father. He was a great lord of a land who many people cared for, but he had grown greatly sick within a short amount of time that all feared he'd soon be lost. However, the lord's daughter and greatest knight was sure she could find just what it was that would save her fathers life... But alas! No matter how hard the knight searched far and wide-across vast mountains, deserts and plains she was unable to find what she desperately sought." A dainty hand fell from its invisible sword forlorn as if could hold it no longer, and the previous quirky smile dappling her features fell away just as sorrowful too. "No witch nor wizard they met had the means to such a cure-no king, or royalty, or even peasant knew what ailed him either. Hope seemed to flee her at ever turn and through every land she traveled, but still… The valiant knight, with sweat on her brow and steeled passion in her heart, searched on and on…”

It was then her fingers at her side began to tremble, and Belle wondered when it was that reality began to seep so deeply into this pretend act that had been originally born out of fun. Embarrassed by this she chastised herself, feeling absolutely stupid for spewing her feelings and hardships into the form of a children's tale. How could she take something so serious-something really truly happening... And break it down into a story about a heroic knight and the possibilities of finding a magical cure?

"Y-yeah right... No magic can help me, and I'm far from ever being a noble knight, riding about and saving the day..." Belle scoffed to no one at all, breaking complete character in the silence looming over her, though it only made her laugh sadly to herself. "I'm not a hero-I-I can't protect anyone... Not even my own-"

**_‘K-THUNNNK!’_ **

The violent sound broke through the stifled air sharply-startling the unprepared security guard which caused her to jump nearly half a foot into the air.

Belle found her heart slamming into her chest, threatening to break through her ribcage, as she whirled toward the kitchen area with both hands clamped on her flashlight still in her grasp. Swiftly she tried to locate the source of the loud noise that had stolen all sense of peace and ease from the building. When the wavering beam fell over the dinning area in its hurry to find answers there she found the perpetrator-a collapsed wooden chair that had once been upright as all the chairs had been. However, that wasn't what sent icy fear to crawl up her spine. What had her truly startled was what she thought she saw in the corner of the darkness by the kitchens.

In the next instant Belle swore she thought she saw something _move_.

“Hello?!” The security guard shouted far too loudly-and without hesitation, than she would have liked thanks to the adrenaline and terror coursing through her veins. “H-Hey! Is someone there?! This is private property you can’t be here!”

What happened next near made her poor heart stop pumping altogether in the following seconds.

For there was the faint but clear sound of swift footsteps oddly ‘clacking’ across the tiled floor.

However, her immediate reaction was not the one she had expected to take nor one she believed any sane person would choose. For in the blink of an eye she was off on her feet, darting down the stage steps, around the reception counter, and through the dining area straight to the kitchen's doors where she’d thought she’d seen a wisp of a shadowy shape dart towards. Just as she was bursting through the swinging doors herself-doors that had indeed been rustled when she reached them, she finally understood the gravity of the mistake she was making. What the hell was she doing? Despite being a security guard at Avonlea she didn’t even have pepper spray on her person currently let alone anything of useful defense if there was truly an intruder! What could she actually do if someone had broken in-or attacked her?

Especially now that they were lost to the thick darkness her flash light along couldn't properly penetrate... Alone in the darkness where 'whomever' it could be had the advantage.

Belle's racing thoughts ceased, and she flinched backwards when she heard the horrid sound of clattering metal hitting the ground ring up through the open air. Her shaky hand pointed the flashlight about the floor-soon revealing a simple steel pot that was still rolling on its side-now coming to a reverberating final clack against the cold floor.

“Y-You’re trespassing whoever you are! I-I’m going to call the cops right now!” The words spilled from her lips, more in a squeak than the strong commanding voice she had used just a few moments before. There she waited-her legs a bit frozen in place and her ears trying to decipher any noise at all that met them when her voice faded away...

But a looming silence was her only reply.

Determined to make sure that she was truly alone-at least in this room, she swooped over the entire kitchen with her flashlight, but couldn't make out anyone at all lurking amongst the counters, cabinets or kitchen appliances. It didn't make any sense though... She'd-she'd seen something hadn't she? There was no way that sturdy chair had fallen over by itself-and then the shadowy shape she swore she... She had no proof beyond what her ears and eyes had taken in-wait-no, she did!

Then a brilliant idea struck at that moment, willing her body back into movement. The cameras, of course! She could check back on the cameras, because there was literally one right in the kitchen! She could truly see if someone had somehow snuck into Avonlea with them and give the police an accurate description of the intruder if they had a good enough shot of them!

The hairs on the back of her neck prickled and she looked about the room frantically, suddenly feeling as if some set of eyes were watching her from within the darkness.

Quickly, Belle turned around and scrambled all the way back to the security office. When she got there she grabbed the tablet in semi sweaty hands after slamming her door closed and locking it up tight. The device woke up from sleep mode thanks to her pestering and Belle fumbled for access to the kitchen camera, rewinding the feed at least three minutes back. With piercing blue eyes she watched every scrap and inch of the screen, hoping to catch sight of who had been there, but there wasn’t a single figure darting through the kitchen nor the shadow or shape of one on the side.

“But…” Belle’s voice was hardly a whisper. She tried to check the feed for the dining area, but the camera was off track of the scene and couldn’t let her see the chair that had somehow fallen over.

Goosebumps pebbled her fair skin, and she had to take a minute or two to just breath and attempt to comprehend what had just happened. Frantically she checked all the other camera feeds several minutes back but there was no intruder, no trespasser of any kind to be seen roaming the halls or rooms.

“I’m losing my mind…” Belle put a hand over one side of her face before trying to comb back some her brown curls spilt about her shoulders.

Peace did not find her long after that though, not even when six in the morning chimed its strikes from the ever faithful ticking clock hanging from above. Its sound roused the security guard from staring blankly at the door when she realized it was time to go home. With a nervous gaze she eyed the slab of wood that loomed back, concealing everything beyond it from her sight. For during the rest of her shift that early morning she’d felt as if there was someone-or _something_  waiting right outside that barrier between her and the rest of the building. Such a fear as that was utterly foolish with all the proof she had that she was alone within this building. Yet, this feeling was so overwhelming that she couldn’t even move from her chair or position, fearing even the thought of craning her head to look away even once incase that knob would suddenly begin to twist and squirm.

With the sweet relief of knowing it was time to call it quits for the the night she in great haste gathered her things. Her open book that lay completely forgotten and abandoned on her desk these last few hours was thrown into her purse without much care she normally took with handling them. A bit of sweat trailed down Belle's chest beneath the clean white cotton of her shirt, her skin was still prickled and muscles fraught with tension as she moved to leave.

Down the hall she practically sprinted, clocking out after arming the alarm, and then, not once looking back, bolted from Avonlea altogether. In her eagerness to flee the invisible eyes practically glued to her she nearly forgot to lock the door. Bravery hummed back into her heart as she withstood her fear well enough to do that-she had to do her job as promised after all. With that done it wasn't long before she was jumping in her vehicle and speeding out of the parking lot towards home.

There was something off at Avonlea, she could feel it-had always felt it though she ignored the truth, but now it was becoming more apparent and clear. What was wrong with the building-she did not know. Her logical rational portion of mind didn’t care to ever know or ever go back to find out, and yet, despite all this something inside of her was drawn to the dark solitary halls of the empty building.

Her curiosity would be her downfall. Belle had always felt that would be her way to 'go' but even more so now than ever.

‘One more night,’ She chanted to herself inside her mind hoping it would work to give her the much needed courage. How easy would it be to not go back? It'd be easy, but it wouldn't be right, and Belle knew she couldn't escape from this. All those self proclaimed promises of withstanding the week and proving everyone there was nothing to fear came back to bite and remind her that her own pride was on the line.

Belle heft a sigh, closing her eyes a bit to will the words out of her mouth. "Just work there one more night."

Friday night would be her last shot at this, but if she felt at all this terror and level of fear again... If she felt this presence of someone watching her, against every evident sign she was probably just losing it, once more she would be out of this gig for good.

It was simple and yet so frightening.

Belle just had to make it through one more night.

—————

Friday evening eventually crept upon Ms. French whether she liked it or not... Leaving her to stomach the dread and anxiety that was coming into full effect.

Somehow she knew there was something wrong at Avonlea now-felt it with every fiber of her being as she stared the building down from her spot in the parking lot before she managed to get herself to go inside. The halls sounded just the same as every single night when she entered as the building creaked and shifted ever so slightly. Everything was normal save how her lungs were already beginning to quicken drawing in her breaths.

Belle took a moment to glance away from her open office door once she was settled in, feeling the need to check the rest of the room as if someone or something could somehow appear behind her when she turned a blind eye for even a moment. Deciding that stabilizing her nervous state would be necessary to make it through the evening, Belle grabbed her flashlight to head out of her office and make it to the break room to get some more coffee. Not that she wasn’t jittery enough already, she just wanted to be sure she was wide awake the entire shift.

The flashlight flickered on in her grasp when she stood and turned it on but then suddenly died back down. Belle tested it several times, bumping it slightly with her palm even, only to sigh in frustration when she realized that it was no good. Its batteries were dead. Hope was not lost on the young woman though, she remembered that Marco said he left a supply of fresh batteries in the cabinet for her. Belle sat back in her chair and wheeled over to the metal cabinet next to the desk, beginning to rummage around in the top draw for the mentioned supply. 

She found the batteries, smiling a bit more to herself in relief, but was distracted when she found an interesting item underneath some plain manila folders. Picking it up carefully, she withdrew a tape recorder that clearly had a tape already inside. Holding it up into the light Belle examined it, finding it was an older and simple model, the kind where you just press a designated button to record, to stop, to rewind and playback.

Curious over her find, and slightly forgetting her worries and fear in her interest, she pressed play on the tape recorder.

‘-Becomes the next guard at Avonlea.’

The tape suddenly began to play a jittery young male voice that startled her, and Belle stopped it quickly. ‘Guard?’ The person had mentioned something about the guard of Avonlea. Against her better judgement Belle rewound the tape to the beginning and pressed play, holding the device near her head as she curled up her knees to her chest upon her chair.

‘I don’t know if anyone will find this-oh god. Oh god… I know this is going to sound crazy- _batshit crazy_ I tell you, but you’ve got to listen to me okay? Woah… What… Ah-Ah, shit. I’m leaving this for whoever becomes the next security guard at Avonlea.’

The boy sounded completely worked up with his frantic breathing worse than her own, but his voice was a low hushed tone. A crackle of empty space filled the air a bit before the boy began to speak up once again from the tape.

‘If you’re not working right now as you found this then good- you’ve got time to get out of there. But please whatever you do-if you’re working right now just lock your door and wait for 6 AM because that’s all you can do.’

Belle was completely engrossed in this turn of events, and the room almost echoed with the tapes whispering from the mysterious young man.

‘There is something horrible in Avonlea… I don’t know what it is, but there’s a monster here…’ The boy tried to catch his breath, and mumbled a bit that she couldn't quite understand. ‘I can hear it down the hall, its footsteps-the 'clack' 'clack' 'clack' that keeps pacing the floor right outside my door...’

Belle looked up from her knees to the wide black void that was the connection between the hallway and the security office. Looming back, the rectangular space of darkness sent chills up her spine, while her ears strained to listen to both the tape and the world beyond her room.

‘I know I’m not crazy-I saw its face-oh god it’s not human at all! It screamed like a demon and I did the only thing I could think to do. I locked myself inside the office and I’m hiding in the large c-cabinet-I’m going to leave this and I hope to god I make it out of here. Oh shit-woah- _Oh shit_! If I don’t please find my body-my name is Co-‘

The tape stopped. Suddenly the boys voice was gone and the tape 'clicked' to an end, leaving the air void of any sound save the security guards own breathing. Belle sat there frozen in place, trying to understand anything at all the boy had spouted-a mass of nonsense that had her curled up about herself.

‘A horrible face? Not human? What the hell was he talking about?’

_Clack._

'He too felt as if something was in Avonlea? Where was he then-what happened to him?'

_Clack._

Belle sat up in her seat, eyes widening as she heard it yet again, thinking perhaps she imagined it the first time.

_Clack. Clack. Clack._

The sound of heavy footsteps were echoing down the halls-the 'clacks' bouncing against the ceiling and floor to her very door.

Flight became the only concern for Belle at this point in time. It didn’t matter if she was just going crazy or if what the boy said on the tape was true-she was leaving here.

Right.

Now.

And she wasn’t ever going to come back.

Sweat was already beading down her trembling body before she quickly jumped up, abandoning her stuff entirely, and was hovering with one foot off the floor at the edge of the door frame.

Cutting off her breath, Belle let her ears try to pinpoint the source of the sound, but the footsteps had seemed to stop.

Belle covered her mouth afraid that her quivering breath, gasping for air, would break the eerie silence coating everything. Closing her eyes, she willed her body to move, and then with the remaining ounce of courage in her heart made a brief decision. She was going to make a break for it.

Her boots took off and she was in a dead bolt run for the back door.

She streaked down the pitch-black hall, the wobbling beam from her flashlight her only means to see. The pounding of her heart and her frantic breath thrummed loudly in her eardrums and she wanted nothing more than to be deaf to the sounds that might possibly be after her. Her own footsteps struck the ground in a patter and she could almost feel this foreign presence behind her, chasing her down in tune with her steps and growing closer with every single second.

The thought of using the tablet to call the police, the thought of standing ground and doing her job, all rational normal thoughts all fled to the crushing horror that she was not alone. In this hollow place she should have been the only one, but there was something in this building-and she wasn't going to let it find her.

Belle tore around the corner leading to the back door straight ahead, her only means to escape from this now nightmarish place. Hope flared in her soul at the knowledge that soon she'd be back outside in the world beyond this hellish nightmare she'd somehow fallen into.

Yet, Belle came to a harsh halt against the tiled floor. The beam of her flashlight lifted up slowly and struck the wall and door where her freedom awaited her.

There standing before that very means to her freedom was someone.

All the air escaped her lungs, as if the terror made her brain forget how to even force herself to breathe. Her hand holding the flashlight shook horribly, casting terrible shadows from the hunched human like figure turned towards the door, with what seemed to be a hand curled against the metal. Seconds like eternity passed by and yet Belle couldn’t even move a single inch away, her blue eyes were as wide as they could possibly go and stuck solely upon the sight before her.

“H…” She gasped mutely, attempting to regain control of any portion of her body. “He-H… Hello…”

A wiry mess of dark brown curls spilt over the person or thing's shoulders, appearing shaggy and unkempt, hiding its face while its body was covered in dark clothing that her mind wasn’t able to put together properly. The figure stood like a person, was shaped like a person, and yet something in Belle screamed at her that what was standing before her was not a 'someone' in the slightest.

She was torn between too options, to either run the other way and never stop till she was far from this place and this thing that was somehow-not a person...

Or listen to the small voice in her that told her that she must know… That she must see what this thing before her was.

With a unexpected move, the figure turned to her in a flash before she could respond yet again. The light of her beam illuminated its oddly colored green gold face that had appeared behind the curls, distorting its features with wicked deep shadows. It stared back at her with inhumanly large amber eyes, crooked nose, and a wide gaping black pit for a mouth full of jagged rotten teeth. 

A split moment of this sight was enough for Belle to think of only one word, one the boy in the tape had used so accurately in his description.

‘ _Demon_.’

_**‘AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH-’** _

It screeched then-an animal like cry that tore through the space around them loud enough that her ears rung in physical pain which crackled through her head.

Then-the thing flew into a frenzy, flinging itself towards her, faster than anything she’d ever seen as it barreled forward on its quick feet.

All Belle could do from the sheer terror that consumed her was scream.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There truly is a monster in Avonlea, and Belle finds herself face to face with the terrifying creature itself. Being chased by a thing of nightmare’s trapped inside the fun center's cheerier walls leaves Belle with only two choices-find a way to escape or die trying.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 05/30/15- Chapter Three first-revision completed.

Time seemed to have frozen in place all around her, and yet it was also moving at an incredible speed-far beyond her momentary comprehension. 

The monster before Belle, with its straggly wiry hair and inhuman giant eyes, was charging itself straight at her. She could see its horrible jagged-tooth mouth would be closing in on her in a matter of seconds with the way it flew on its feet, but her own feet, frantic to run as well, were cemented in place.

Somehow through all of this she was able to notice a sound shrieking loudly in her ears, and it wasn't from the monster-it was her own wail of terror.

Just then the fear holding her frozen in place lost its hold upon her just as the thing was only a few feet away. With all the strength she could muster Belle clasped tight onto her shaking flashlight, turned on the heel of her boots, and bolted around the hall's corner, nearly crashing to the floor from the velocity of it. The demon following right behind her clacked loudly with its movements, but Belle heard it 'thump' into the wall, rattling the ceiling tiles above as well as letting out another short beastly cry. Even though she gained some sparse feet between her and the thing she kept moving upon wild feet.

‘What the hell is that!’ Belle cried out in her mind which was in near hysterics. There was no time for her to put together any explanation for the hellish thing chasing behind her right now, for she could hear its foot falls clipping against the tile right behind hers. Her body simply went on autopilot, doing the only thing it knew to do in this scenario- _run_.

A few escape plans did manage to push through the wreckage that was Belle's train of thought. She could possibly hide in her office like the boy in the recording had, the door did have a lock and her cellphone was in her bag-but there wasn’t enough time for that course of action. The sparse distance between her and the thing that was shrieking its animal like cry behind her was too slim to guarantee her safety nor if she could even keep it out of the room. Despair filled her facial expression as Belle bolted straight past her office, being unable to stop for it even if she had truly wanted to do so.

‘I can't run forever! I’m going to die-oh god! This thing will catch me soon if I don't do something!’ Belle was gasping as she tore around another corner to the two swinging doors that lead to the party room and to the front portion of the building. More attempts at escape plans filled her head as she pushed through the doors and ran past the laser tag room, hearing the panels of metal behind her swing open again with the monster pursuing. It would be pointless to try and get out the gate like front doors, they were sturdy standardize slabs of heavy metal and had to be locked up tight. There was no time to fumble for the keys and-oh wait, she didn’t have them on her.

They were in her office.

There was also no time to try to break a window open (they were thick and shatter proof anyways) and jump out to freedom either.

The tablet sitting upon her desk in her office suddenly came back to mind as she kept moving on hurried feet, passing the darkened stage that lit up thanks to her flashlight for only a moment.

Belle gave a small alarmed cry when she heard the thing behind her bump into something. Its loud footsteps were crashing down like a thunderstorm in this open wide space, each step kept spiking her heart into a frenzy crafted of adrenaline and fear.

She had pretty much memorized the map on the tablet when she managed to regain her thoughts while darting through the arcade area. If she could get into the kitchen she could get back to the main hallway behind the front building’s layout and escape through the back door! It’d activate the alarm and as she got away-on foot she didn't have her car keys either, the police would soon arrive on the scene.

Belle took a glance back as she was sprinting into the dining area and saw that the monstrous being, with glowing eyes seemingly floating in the darkness, was only a few paces behind her. Claw like hands lunged in her direction, making the beauty squeak out a cry of terror while she dogged it around a table.

“WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU?” She shouted in mixture of anger and fear from the overwhelming horror bubbling in her blood. Taking a spare second of precious time the security guard knocked over a large chair right behind her path, hoping to buy her some more distance from her pursuer. A loud 'clatter' of sound met her ears, and Belle hollered for joy internally. She could tell the thing had gotten off her tail by the lack of immediate steps following after.

**_"AHHHHHHHH-AHHHHHHHHH!"_ **

Belle's gut lurched at the screams that flew after her even if the steps did not.

The kitchen doors she was closing in on slammed open as she barreled right on through without any concern. Right across the vast room was the other door that connected to the back hall, and she hurriedly weaved between two of the closest island counters to reach it.

‘I can get out of here! I just have to make it to the backdoor!' Belle thought. 'Its closer on this side of the building-so even if it runs the other way I'll still-’

And of course, the great wheel of fate spun without any forewarning and changed all of that.

In her haste and eager speed against the tiled surface Belle’s foot suddenly gave way. A puddle of oil on the floor had gone unnoticed so easily in the dark and thus caused the security guards swift boots to slide upon it, loosing traction and then grip against the surface entirely.

Belle not only fell hard, with her eyes slamming wide open, but the side of her head cracked loudly against the edge of the island counter on the way down.

_'CRACK!'_

The world around her twirled on its axis at an unobservable speed. Everything began flashing bright white while she tumbled, like she had some how flown too close to the blinding sun and now was paying the price for it by hitting the ground face first.

The flashlight flew from her hand and spun far across the tile floor, stopping its rotation a few seconds later with its beam falling upon the doors she had just ran through.

Terrible pain shot through her head instantly, leaving her to lay right there upon the ground in agony. Belle coughed and sputtered, spit flying from her mouth as she tried to comprehend the pressure throbbing in her head. She could do little but squirm upon the dark grey tiles with twitching fingers, her eyes stuck at floor level and only letting her see the grimy space underneath the bottom of the counters and appliances.

Belle managed to move an arm slightly, but the rest of her body was reacting as if it was no longer attached to her mind at all. Tentatively, she touched the side of her wounded head with her fingers and gasped a pained breath when it stung at the intrusion. She looked down to her fingers, barely able to see the blood coating them, yet, there was the warmth and sticky wet liquid against her skin that told her all she needed to know.

The kitchen doors creaked slowly open and her pounding ears managed to catch the sound. Belle couldn’t stop herself from losing control of her breathing and gasping loudly, the pain was too much to bear and keep quiet about at the same time. Her squinted eyes managed to catch a bit of blood dripping from the counter while she swiveled her head to observe the room. A notch of sorts was sticking from the stainless steel top of the island and was coated with her life matter.

It dawned on her then, as she laid there upon the ground, hurt, alone, and terrified... She was going to die here.

Belle whimpered pathetically, trying to will her body to move to escape this unforeseen and unimagined fate. The sound of footsteps approaching against the stillness and her own heartbeat was nearly deafening all together.

With all the strength she had remaining at the moment Belle propped herself back on her elbows and pushed on the floor with her feet.

She was greeted to a horrible sight.

Standing at the other end of the gap between the counters was the thing that had been chasing her through the hollow halls. The flashlight laying about on its side caught the being's lower half, revealing a dark pair of oddly laced boots and equally dark pants disappearing into the black of shadows with the rest of the monster-except its eyes of course.

Those large inhuman set of eyes were intensely staring down at her, glowing a wicked yellow in the darkness.

Belle nearly choked but swallowed back the buildup of fear and saliva in her throat when the thing took another step near her.

“C-Come on!” Belle scooted back some more, till she was up against the wall with no where else to go-it appeared she was pinned between two counters. Her eyes flashed upwards, searching in the dim light to find anything to help save her hide. There at the edge of the counter to her right she saw the shape of a handle to a large skillet just within stretching reach.

Glancing back to the thing staggering forward, which was not screaming nor bolting to grab her, Belle gnashed her teeth together in pain before yelling at it once again. “I-I'm right here! W-What are you waiting for!”

Blood was trickling down her face at this point and Belle could feel it crawl across her cheek. There was more than just the sickly feeling in her head, she also felt the numbness seeping into her toes and legs. The young woman knew she wasn’t going to be awake much longer, the pain in her head would be sure of that if the monster before her didn’t take the strike first.

Sitting there, she awaited its next few steps to be within reaching distance to grab her as it surely would, but it didn’t happen.

Why wasn't it running-or just moving at her like it was before? Anything quick would be better than waiting for it to finally launch forward and maul her to death.

“Blood…”

Belle just stared hard at the half hidden demon before tilting her head, not quite believing what she heard-or believing where that voice had even come from.

‘Did it just… Talk?’

“Bl… Blo-Blood…” The odd voice spoke up again, but it was a complete change in comparison to the terrible screeching the thing had only emitted before now. It’s voice sounded like it had a reverberation bouncing on its words and that whomever spoke was speaking through a filter, one crackling and skipping against certain syllables from its high pitch. “You’re… Ble-ed-eding… I'm...”

The monster suddenly took another step towards her and another before it was basically upon her. Belle fought back the surprise she held from moments before, and quickly reached up to grab the skillet handle above her head with a pained cry.

"STAY BACK!" Her voice rung strong through the air and then her weary arms swung.

**_'KA-THUNK!'_ **

The pan struck hard against the creatures side, but the sound of metal ringing loudly and not the crunch of flesh and bone startled her even worse than the voice. The thing just stared down at her with the pan resting against its stricken side. It didn’t and wasn’t responding to her powerful attack at all-there was no flinching nor shrieking out in pain from the hit...

Just nothing.

Belle dropped the pan onto the floor, letting it clatter loudly even if it hurt her head. Finally the broken beauty allowed the awaiting tears to well up heavily in her eyes and begin to flow down her paling cheeks.

This was how the noble knights tale ended so it seemed. Ms. Belle French would soon be found dead at the age of twenty five in a silly pizzeria, slaughtered by a monster that had come out of nowhere, leaving her sickly father alone to suffer by himself.

Perhaps this was how it was for the French's-it seemed fated each one would die a terrible death all by themselves.

Belle shut her eyes tight, sealing off the well of tears so she would not to shed any more of them before this thing, as well to prevent herself from seeing see the two rows of dagger like teeth peeking from behind green gold lips.

She waited for the final blow, but no further pain or sensation of teeth ripping into her person occurred.

The monster in those seconds of anticipation seemed to touch Belle's hair with its hand since her curls moved against her skull. A broken cry wormed its way out of Belle's chest and into her throat against her will. She was still not ready for what was to come, and because of this her pounding heart surged with fear so terrible it pushed her mind further than it could go.

It was all too much and so Belle let go.

Everything went blurry, a haze like a dark fog went over her mind and Belle French passed out right there against the kitchen wall.

The last thing she saw before the black overtook her from the waking world was the yellow glowing eyes hovering over her in the dark.

—————

Belle moaned slightly, letting a soft gust of air escape her lips. It was terrible, the feeling of wretched pain within her head throbbed with each pitiful beat of her heart. If she wasn't so tired she would have fought off the darkness, but it was a pleasantry compared to the pain, and so she welcomed it to her weary mind. All her limbs refused to obey her commands anyways, but she did little to fight the numbness to regain them either.

Why should she? Right now she was pressed against something delightfully warm while she was miserably cold, and that’s all her mind could care for at the moment.

Despite being so sleepy, and the hurt swelling in her head making her wish for true unconscious bliss, she couldn’t help but try to understand what was happening outside her body. The soft scent of dust tickled her nose faintly as well as the slight scent of oil. Strange enough as it was, the warmth and smells were comforting and reminded her of somewhere she had been once... Though even if she were completely awake she wouldn't be able to recall even the slightest memory where she had experienced these sensations together.

Her body jostled slightly, and the sleeping beauty realized, without much more thought to it, she was being carried. It seemed her body was being moved or that she was being hauled off somewhere by someone when she fought with her mind a bit further on the matter.

Honestly, Belle didn’t care what was happening, why it was, or who was carrying her. She was happily warm in this persons strong arms. There was also no terrible set of eyes staring at her nor any sharp screeching ringing in her ears. The security guard was far away from the monster at this point, she had to be. 

With that settled and deep sleep coming back to claim her and bring her some relief, she nestled into what she could hardly make out as fabric and warm metal before letting her mind fall back into the darkness.

—————

There was some light... Beyond the splotches of color that were made up in her eyelids, so Belle could tell she was no longer in the dark.

Coming back to the waking world was not as warm of a welcome as she hoped it would be though. The security guard gave a loud huff of pain as she rolled upon whatever plush thing she was resting snugly against with her stretched out body. She was still pretty tired despite knowing she slept a while. After all, being chased about some frightening figure in the dead of night ought to mean she gets to sleep for as long as she likes-

All of what happened came crashing back into her prominent memories. There was the tape-recorder, the 'clacking' of steps down the hall, then the figure at the back door who went after her, but Belle had slipped away and then... Then...

With a frightened start the beauty sat upwards gasping, nearly launching herself straight to her feat in preparation of being chased once more.

'I went into the kitchen after I got away, but I fell and hit my head...' Belle's memories recalled all this perfectly, but what happened after was a complete blur. 'It came towards me but I don't remember what happened after I hit it... But...'

“I’m still alive.” Belle uttered in a reverent whisper, bringing a hand up towards her mouth to feel her very much warm breath against pulsing fingers.

A sharp shot of pain went through her skull just then, and she cringed with her whole body before reaching upwards to touch the sensitive area. Shock filled her fair features once more when she found that there was no old blood dried upon her head as there should be, but most of all she was confused that beneath her prodding fingers was a bandage that had been crudely applied to where she had split part of her skin open.

Had someone found her here-or had someone come to Avonlea and had managed to save her? Hope swelled and blossomed in her pounding heart, though nothing about anything right now made a lick of sense. Especially the fact that she was tucked upon her office couch. Someone must have had to have carried her to her office and laid her there when she had blacked out. They had even draped her jacket over her, she realized, as she felt the piece of clothing wadded down around her back when previously she'd been covered in it.

The faint ticking of the clock hanging above her desk gained Belle's attention when she noticed it against the quiet within the building. She craned her neck to see what time it was from her seat and was further shocked at what she saw. It was just a bit over five in the morning right now, less than an hour before her shift was over, but no one should be at Avonlea besides her, or coming to work yet. Marco himself didn’t come in till seven in the morning, even on Saturdays.

“Who did this then?” Belle whispered, touching her head again just to make sure the bandage wasn't some figment of her imagination. “Or… I couldn't have dreamed this all up could I? Maybe I am loosing my mind. It sure hurts too much to not be real though.”

The monster-thing-whatever it was, had found her, had her right where it could easily have ripped her apart or done whatever it did to that other boy on the tape recorder and yet… She was here on the couch previously sleeping like a baby as well as having been bandaged and kindly taken care of.

Belle found the courage amongst the stillness of Avonlea to stand up, though a bit wobbly, from the couch to her boot clad feet. Even though the nervousness coiling in her belly had her still very weary she managed to get herself to peer at the eerie open doorway between the office and the hall. “H-Hello?” She called out to the darkness, though she cleared her throat when her voice was hardly audible to her own ears. “Hello? I-Is anyone here?”

There was nothing. The anxious security guard stood there for a good five minutes, but no one came into the security office nor did she hear any steps echo down the hall towards her very door. Finally gaining enough proper courage, Belle moved to her desk to grab the security tablet to signal the police. There was someone or something in this place besides her-she wasn’t crazy, and she wasn’t going to wait to find out who-or _what_ it was all by herself.

She had the device ready to do so within her clammy hands. A simple press of a button would notify Graham and the local police that something was amiss at Avonlea-a break in, thieves, trespassing hooligans, whatever it may be. Her finger quivered over the 'call' button for several seconds, but despite her valid reasonings and logic willing her on she failed to press it. Instead, Belle flicked another button and went back to the footage feed, recalling where she was when everything went oh so wrong and when it was. 

The first bit of footage she decided to examine was reversed from the kitchen camera's feed.

Belle sat back down on the plush couch and watched the screen, glancing to the door every so often-just incase. After a long few minutes of nothing happening on the feed she fast forwarded it, expectantly watching every second to see the capture of her slamming through the doors and falling, as well as the monster making its appearance.

The scene never happened on the screen. It was if what had occurred was just a figment of her tired and overworked imagination, which was more of a horrific reality than not having actually experienced what she thought she had.

“What is happening to me?” Belle fought back a fearful sob and wiped her cheeks quickly to rid of them of any salty streaks trailing there. There was no time right now for sobbing and tears although she wanted nothing more than to do only that.

‘What do I do? Do I try to make a run for it again? What if someone did find me here and they are just out for the moment or they're after the thing all by themselves? Maybe I am just going crazy and it's all been a terrible dream-I could've hit my head and forgot something important!’ All these possibilities swirled into a storm within the young woman's head, leaving her with nothing but uncertainty amongst the comfort of her small office. 

Belle gave a stressed sigh, breaking the silence settled around her, not caring at all for the moment if something or someone heard. Getting up from the couch she walked to her desk to put the tablet back and then settled into her swivel chair which squeaked when she plopped herself into it. "I swear Mr. Getto's going to get quite an ear full if I make it out of here alive..." Belle laughed tiredly, her mind a bit ragged at this point to try and keep herself together. She used the arm rests of her chair to prop her arms out, holding her head between slightly sweaty hands to contemplate further what she should do now.

It was silent for a minute before something other than her soft breathing broke the peace.

“Hello.”

Belle instantly jerked up in her seat at the sudden voice, but she stayed still, wondering if she was possibly just hallucinating having heard it at all. Frozen in the chair, Belle simply sat and stared at the doorway where the odd statement must have come from-or at least it sounded as if it came from the hallway.

It felt like forever before she was able to open her tightly sealed mouth to form a response. A flurry of questions were all swarming the front of her mind, but all she managed to croak out was hardly what she meant to say.

“H-Hey.”

Silence suffocated everything following her reply, while the young woman sat in her chair and the dark doorway stayed exactly the same. She should have been feeling absolute dread swallowing her into a void of despair, but Belle found herself not growing nearly as frightened as she had been an hour ago.

“Di…” The quirky voice began and then cut itself off. Belle tilted her head slightly, spilling her brown curls over her shoulder while she awaited it to speak again. “Did you stop ble-ed-eding? You lost quite a bit and I didn't know what else to do…” The voice was very quiet, but now that Belle was aware of it she could finally really listen to it. There was an odd bit of accent to the strange tone she had heard before in the kitchen. It sounded higher pitched, a bit nasally even, and yet it was a male voice she easily concluded. Still, there was no figure visible within the doorway, and Belle did not have her flashlight with her to help peel back the inky darkness to see who her... Current companion was.

Belle felt another pang in her head strike up suddenly and winced, releasing a soft gush of air to soothe the pain. Carefully she touched her skull again and the realization of who had exactly helped her slammed into her like a brick wall.

“You… You’re the one who did this, you bandaged me up?” Belle blurted the question out, no longer so meek it seemed in her curiosity.

Silence loomed back. Then there was a small 'clacking' sound of what had to be metal brushing against metal, and Belle stiffened a bit in her seat.

“Go…” The mysterious voice spoke, and Belle noticed the odd static like hinge to the voice was more prominent when it spoke louder. This unknown figure didn’t sound truly organic, in fact the speaker sounded like they were speaking through a machine of sorts. “Go away. Go now.”

This was becoming absolutely frustrating, and so Belle just let whatever was at the tip of her tongue spill forth.

“No!” The word was out of her mouth before she had time to register it properly. Though perhaps not the best choice of wording Belle continued to sit quietly with hands firmly on the chair's arm rests, physically backing up her refusal. She was tired of running and crying tonight. God-she was so sick of it! Also, as if she would just up and leave now that the voice was suddenly being half polite and not screaming at her!

The thing huffed a strange sound beyond the wall, like it had tried to sigh, but the exhale was more like a burst of air from a half lidded pipe.

“If you don’t go- ** _I’LL KILL YOU!_** ” A face abruptly appeared halfway across the frame, startling Belle. A yellow wicked eye and half of that horrible mouth of the monster she had been chased by was staring her down from the shadows. Belle nearly let out a yelp as she sunk back into her chair, the fear surging back into her heart was screaming-pleading at her to get up and run. The thing half hiding in the clutch of the darkness released a broken giggle in her direction. The high pitched creepy sound crackled with a bizarre static like effect that had the hairs on the back of her neck stand straight up.

“NO! I'm not going anywhere!” Belle shouted back, launching forward in her chair and nearly mimicking what the demon had just done.

Surprisingly, the figure staggered from the door frame as if she had been the one to frighten it terribly. Its loud steps could be heard scrambling it back into the utter pitch black of the hallway, and Belle knew she could no longer see it when the glow of its eyes disappeared from sight too.

Belle stared in disbelief with a dumbfounded smile stretching across her lips for several seconds, probably due to the fact her mind was unable to process this whole situation.

_**'AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!'** _

That horrible wail broke through the air as the monster grabbed the sides of the door frame with two larges hands in a violent motion, throwing its upper half into the rooms light to bear the awful set of jaws right in her face. Belle covered her ears with both hands from the sheer volume of the painful cry, but kept her eyes open to stare face to face at the terrifying one looking at her.

She already knew it was humanoid, but now with the light clearly illuminating it Belle finally could see the thing in a whole new perspective. She watched as its strange hinged jaw hung low before it slowly clacked back together with the upper portion when it had finished its terrible screaming. The demon-monster, she was no longer sure what it was exactly, had the proper shape of a human face, with a nose, two eyes, eyebrows, and a mouth, but all these features were distorted. The thing's two eyes were huge in its head, bigger than what a human should have, and the pupils stared at her as tiny pinpointed dots in the vibrant amber irises. It had no whites to the eyes and Belle manage to notice that the lowering eyelids looked almost like the ones the animatronic dragon on stage had.

Even stranger... Was the amber color of its eyes that had been so frightening before now seemed so much prettier with the light bouncing off of them. In fact the whole thing seemed to sparkle a different color in the glow of the room than it had in the bleak darkness.

Hesitantly and without any true consciousness to the action, Belle reached one of her hands forward and shakily touched the curve of its cheek.

“What…” The thing whispered in that low voice again, seemingly stuck like a statue in a predator like stance with its gaze casted upon her. Carefully she traced the bumpy cold… _metal_ of its jaw with her fingers, attempting to understand why she felt flesh and then the absence of it across the chin.

“What are you…” That partially opened mouth ushered those words, showing the hints of the sharp jagged teeth-all colored an ugly rotten looking shade, lurking within.

Perhaps what was even more inhuman was its skin which was what one could consider monstrous in appearance. It had a mottled look to its flesh, like lizard scales almost, and was colored a mixture of gold and green that did sparkle oddly as well as beautifully with the light. A slightly crooked and unique nose framed the center of its face but stood apart looking as if it was melded onto it with divot like bumps-the set of eyebrows also looked as if they had been attached from the way they split and rose up in halves. Adding to the oddity was the scraggly grayish-brown hair that framed its head and hung slightly over its eyes, brushing against her hand and alerting her to its softness.

“ _What are you?_ ” Belle mimicked in reply with her twist on his question, though her inquiry was genuine and open despite the goosebumps crawling all over her skin. This unknown thing before her was very real, the grooves and bumps brushing her palm was enough to tell her that she wasn't crazy in the slightest.

It pulled back from her then, slipping away from her curious fingertips and making a peculiar whirring noise as it did so. Belle looked at the rest of the thing's form quickly with the light giving it completely away to her sight. The clothes it wore were equally odd as it, a fantasy medieval like outfit adorned its rather short form-it could hardly be any taller than her! The humanoid figure wore a scaled leather coat with a high collared neckline, a dark orange vest with the hints of a silk shirt underneath-frilled out from the cuffed sleeves, all while leather pants and tall laced boots clung to two shapely legs.

Overall its entire appearance seemed to fit the look of Avonlea perfectly, making her even more bewildered than before.

Yet, Belle had noticed when it had moved away from her that the coat had cuts where the shoulders met the sleeves revealing a sight that had the security guard's breath hitch in her throat. What appeared to be wires, cables, and tendrils of metal were holding the creatures upper arms to pad like shoulders that were separated from its body and continued to extend underneath the clothing it wore.

It all clicked together right then and there... This thing was metal, cold, inhuman, and made of wires and parts in a building with several other things just like it.

“You are a machine.” Belle stated and when she looked back up to its face she found it staring at her with what had to be a frightened alarmed look just the same as she surely had plastered on her face.

“Why ar-aren’t you running? I don’t under-der-stand, you should have ran away! Or at least you should be running away now!” It yelled the last part with a sharp voice, causing Belle to flinch slightly in response to its sudden surge of anger. Now that she understood that the thing before her was not a demon, ghost, nor a being of flesh and blood she somehow was able to comprehend it without wanting to flee in absolute terror. Her lack of immediate action seemed to frustrate the now confirmed machine before her as it set both clenched hands at its hips in an irritated stance.

As if that thing was the one who should be irritated right now!

“W-Why are you trying to scare me away?" Belle snapped right back, pointing a finger at it that had it scowling at her. "But-how are you even-well how are you even aware or moving on your own? It's after hours and if you're a machine shouldn’t you be off? I never saw you with the other animatronics-”

It huffed that odd puff of air again while the ‘aged’ like lines on its face crinkled from its nasty expression. A large hand flittered back up into the air, dancing alongside the thing's words as if unable to help itself. “I asked you a question first, dearie! All the other guards ran out of here with their tails tucked between their legs after everything I’ve put them throu-through-but not you! Perhaps I’ve under-est-estimated your kind, or perhaps you’re one of the not sane ones.”

A trill emerged from its odd throat then, seemingly amused at the human prospect before the machine shaped like a man.

“I am too sane! If anything you're the insane one-scaring people off as if for fun. Wait... That's all you've done right? You didn’t kill any of the previous guards or hurt them did you?” Belle questioned quickly, as the tape recorder with the boys plea had come back into mind. “What happened to the last boy, the one who worked before me?”

The thing cocked its head at her, its fake eyelids drooping downward before it gave off another unnerving giggle that sounded horribly glitchy towards the end. Belle was rather annoyed herself with the thing at this point, but she noticed that it seemed to flinch in his entirety when that happened, as if unable to process the full effect of its laugh correctly. Perhaps that was why she hadn't seen this machine with the others. It could be damaged and was kept out of sight till it needed to be fixed... Yet, somehow that didn't quite seem right as she'd never seen it before, and Mr. Getto never mentioned such a peculiar... _Model_.

Belle was pulled back to the present when the machine seemingly danced a bit in place, letting its heeled boots bounce against the tiled floor.

“Oh that gibb-ber-ering sod? He'd been up to no good during his entire stay here so I felt a little bit more, _persua-sua-sion_ , was necessary to get him to leave. You should have seen it! He ran straight on out through the back doors screaming ‘wee’ ‘wee’ all the way home!" The thing seemed so proud of itself with the way it grabbed one lapel of it's vest with a smug smile pushing across it's faux face. "He didn’t even call in to let the boss know he wasn’t coming back. How rude! Good rid-dan-dance I say.”

Another smaller giggle bursts from its hardly moving mouth. 

Belle felt tension leave her body in another wave with the thought that the boy hadn't been harmed. It seemed the thing before her hadn’t killed anyone at all-or so it claimed. Still if a murder had happened here at Avonlea Belle doubted it could be covered up so easily that no one would know it happened. Then again she hadn't even known this thing was here right under her very nose.

“You know, I still don’t understand why you’ve been trying so hard to make me leave.” Belle bit back while she stood up from her chair to better face the rather cruel being. It's unwavering eyes bore back down at her own with its unblinking intense stare. There was no way she was going to let it get another ounce of fear from her at this point so she didn't even flinch when it took a step towards her (though she noticed it kept a certain distance from her regardless).

The terrible humor in it’s somehow very expressive face disappeared, and she watched as it began to sneer and glower at her. Logic bit back at her for speaking out against the thing with it's change in mood being so frequent (could it even have moods?). It was obviously angry despite the giggles and mocking smiles, after all it did try to have her running from this place while screaming her lungs out with no intention to ever come back.

Yet… It had taken care of her when she had fallen and gotten herself hurt, and the machine seemed rather concerned with her well being earlier.

All these clashing actions left Belle completely and utterly confused on what it really wanted from her.

“Let me make it clear then, _dearie_. You are not needed here.” It spat at her, though the effect was hardly intimidating with it only being a few inches taller than her. “Avonlea doesn’t need anyone here after hours!”

Belle took the turn to huff, readying her fury to unleash an onslaught of words against the machine, but her curiosity towards the thing before her was far greater than her simmering rage. Her own facial expression softened from the angry purse of lips as she trailed her blue eyes over segmented shoulders back to it's face.

“Do you live here then?" She gently asked, surely having surprised it with the way it's eye lids flew open. "I’m mean you are a machine-more of an animatronic right? You don't quite look like the ones on stage but you do appear to be one-”

“Stop chan-an-ging the subject! Least you’d like to be strewn apart and hung outside for decor-cor-ation!” The machine growled, attempting to look menacing though it's confusion made it more apparent that it was trying to frighten her off. 

“You wouldn’t do that.” Belle stated without a beat or pause, and the thing before her shut its trap like mouth with a sharp clack to stare daggers at her. “You obviously would have killed me when you had the chance if you had really want to… Instead you took care of me after I fell didn't you?" It looked a bit guilty with the way it's eyes flickered from hers at that question, cementing the fact that 'it' had looked after her. "Why would you help me if you want me out of here so bad?”

Then it took a step back from her, setting some distance between them, but she followed with a step forward. It almost looked nervous with the way it’s eyes desperately flickered around the room, landing on anything but the small woman quirking a brow back. In the right light Belle could now see that it’s eyes were literal metal spheres inside his skull and if she wanted she could push her fingers around them to touch wires and bits of machinery within his head.

“Just go away!” It finally replied in a childlike manner, and Belle decided to grab its flittering hand that had been attempting to point at her, causing an odd squeak to slip from her sole companion's throat. A throat, by the way, that easily gave away it's inhumanity when she shifted her wandering attention to it. A flexible steel joint was visible underneath it's chin, and it's neck was plated so it could bend, she assumed, as a human could. It became incredibly clear to the young woman that this thing was not living or human... And yet, it was so beyond and unlike any machine she had ever seen. None of the stage animatronics were like this-or capable of such freedom and movement.

Belle could almost swear that if she tore off the metal plates and pieces on this thing a 'real' man might be lurking right beneath the surface. 

“S-Stop staring at me like that!"

Belle jerked back from observing it's neck while still holding it’s hand within her own. Heat began to burn beneath her skin in response to her embarrassment for she had been obviously gawking at the animatronic like one did an exotic animal at the zoo. There should have been no guilt on her part for doing such a thing, it wasn't like it was a human being, and yet Belle felt honest regret for thinking of it as the equivalent of a zoo exhibit.

“I didn't mean... I’m really sorry.” She stammered.

It hesitated in it's response, but Belle knew she saw a shimmer of hurt in it’s eyes before it suddenly all transformed to a readable rage. The machine gave her a nasty smile as it lifted her hand holding onto it’s own roughly into the light. It's fingers broke free and curled around her own, trapping her hand within the confines of it's large one. She could see all the bendable joints on his dark clawed fingers and the curve of different metal to allow movement where muscle should have been. The sickly color of green and gold reflected against the light just as his face did, but his hand was just harsh cold metal all the way through.

“Staring at the beast for your amus-muse-ment are we?” It gave a hoarse laugh at her that sounded far too forced to be true. “Why not? That’s what I was made for wasn’t it? For you humans to mock, laugh at, scorn and hate! Or am I better off being forgotten and hiding out of sight to never be seen-sparing you all of my horror?" It brought it's face closer to hers, alarming the beauty slightly as it's maw barred itself wide open for her to peer into the machinery inside.

"Tell me then, dearie, am I such a plea-lea-sant sight? You were screaming at me in terror mere hours ago!” The jaw full of horrible teeth looked almost as if to tear into her skull and strew her brains about the floor, marring it’s clean surface in a painting of gory pinks and reds.

Then suddenly, an intense pain began to course through Belle's captured hand, making her gasp slightly.

“Please, please, stop! You’re hurting me!” Belle cried out and in an instance her hand was released, allowing her to tumble back from the figure. The machine had begun to squeeze too tight with her in its grip and now she was sure, as she clutched her hand to her chest, that it would be bruised in an hour or so.

The machine looked utterly lost after what it had done. A distant-almost tormented gaze was bared all across its scaled features, revealing an emptiness that Belle thought made it look the least human and the most lifeless she'd seen so far. Metal joints creaked slightly as it took to staring at it's offending hand, which trembled slightly in the yellow light of her office.

“I’m…” It began to back away from her then, further and further till it entirely slipped back into the darkness of the door frame and the vacant hall. “I’m sorry-I’m so sorry…”

Belle just watched it disappear, till the glowing amber eyes turned and were lost from her vision and the empty dark door way was just that. Part of her wanted the machine to not run away, but the security guard was unable to come up with any logical reasons to stop it right then and there. Belle shook her head slightly, feeling a tad bit crazy at this point. 'Why would I even want it to hang around, after all it did to me?'

The retreating footsteps 'clacked' against the tiled ground, and Belle could tell the sounds were starting to drift far away from the security office door.

'Don't do it Belle, don't you dare call it back. Who knows what it might do if it returns, possibly something worse than bruising your hand!'

All the rational thoughts flew from her mind because the sudden urgency in her heart was too great to ignore. 

“Wait.” She whispered the word quietly and more to herself as she was still very confused, frightened, and despite it all, curious over what had just happened within these last few minutes of her life. To be honest, her prodding to the thing probably hadn’t been the kindest-but then again it had not approached her like a decent human would… But, it wasn’t human, was it?

Could it be just as confused and scared as she was while it walked down the hall alone?

“Wait! Please!” Belle shouted in her haste and slid out the door to stand in the frame of light breaking up the dark hall. Her body froze in place when she saw the machine turn back and look at her, but she only knew it did so because of it’s glowing eyes appearing when it shifted its head and locked it's gaze onto her. The same intensity of it’s unblinking stare had her nervously cradling her tender hand to her side, pulling her other arm to grasp the wounded one as a form of visual defense.

What on earth was she doing? Shouldn’t she be crying with relief that thing was leaving her alone or that the nightmare was coming to an end? Yet Belle was surprised to find her heart hurting near as much as her head did when she gently reached up to touch the bandage. The same bandage that the being before her had applied after it had made sure she was comfortable while she was vulnerable and unconscious-though that was it's fault she ended up like that in the first place.

Belle blushed a bit as she fumbled for words, but kept up her bravery as the thing looked at her as if awaiting her reasons for calling it back. “I didn’t mean to stare at you. I’m honestly sorry for that… I’ve just never seen something-anyone like you before and I'm a terribly curious person by nature. Though you didn’t have to be so rough on me about it.”

“M-My… Apol-pol-ogies, yet again. I had no inten-ten-tion to...” The floating eyes never blinked, but it’s head cocked to the side slightly while the solemn erratic voice continued. “If it's any comfort to you... You don’t have to worry about seeing me after this, dearie. We'll probably never cross paths past tonight.”

“What…” Belle wanted to approach it as it's words befuddled her, but the common sense rattling off in her head kept her at bay. “Why won't we? Wait! I’m so confused about all of this-please... Do-do you have a name at least?”

It made a ‘tsk’ sound at her, it’s tone taking on more of that whimsical note it had held before, something she could almost call 'impish'. “I do indeed have a given name but it’s not impor-por-tant. It hasn’t been for a long time and neither will it ever be again!”

“Of course it’s important.” Belle furrowed her brows as a frown settled upon her features. Desperately she was trying to understand the oddities it was speaking of. “I would like to know what to call you or what you really are…”

It began to walk away from her after the brief pause of silence, and Belle felt the stewing irritation bubble back up with it's blatant decision to ignore her.

In fact the security guard, no longer trembling in place in fear of the animatronic, was about to march up to it and let herself finally give it a good scolding, but she found the fury dissipate when it spoke back up.

“After you leave here and I am discov-cov-ered you’ll have no need of my name. I’ve let myself go too far this time around... Oh, dearie, dear! You’ll tell Marco of the monster lurking in the halls-then he’ll find me and be rid of me for sure this time.”

What? Get rid of? So it hid itself within Avonlea, without Mr. Getto knowing?

Belle blinked as she lost track of the machine's shape in the inky black darkness, the only proof he was still there was the soft whirring of his metal parts and the clacks of his steps. It fell completely quiet just a minute after, by then Belle knew that it had to be gone from this part of the building. Alone again, Belle was left to lean against the door frame-needing the support since her legs wavered and heart still pounded far too fast for her liking.

‘What did he mean by all of this? What is going on here?’ She thought to herself, closing her eyes briefly. A sad smile crossed her lips as she realized that she had internally just addressed the man shaped thing as a ‘he’. It was just a machine, it wasn’t a ‘he’ despite looking half like a human male (it was still rather beastly looking as well). But why was that thing here at Avonlea? How did it walk around and function independently, as if it could do what ever it pleased? Why was it not backstage like the other animatronics, or why did she not now about it?

It seemed that perhaps Marco didn't know it was here either, by the way it spoke it's last words to her, and that made her all more curious to the strange humanoid being.

Or perhaps she had just lost her mind and this whole thing was a bizarre dream from lack of proper sleep these last few days.

Figuring her 'companion' wasn't going to come back, Belle wandered into her office. For her own peace of mind the beauty closed and locked the door behind her as she was still a bit intimidated by the thought she wasn't alone in this vast building. In an effort to make it through the rest of the night she curled up into her chair and sat there, exhausted and fighting the ache in her skull, till it was six in the morning. During the entire wait, which was only about half an hour, her mind tossed and tumbled in a storm of confusion.

The faithful clock finally chimed at her when it was six in he morning and told her to get a move on. She gratefully listened to it’s advice as she'd been prepared now for quite a while. Her bag was already set for her to go and she grabbed it quickly as she got up before bolting from the office to the back door as if she was once again being chased. Her head sharply hurt with every 'patter' of her steps, but she cared little for the pain at the moment.

All that mattered was getting this bizarre night to end. 

The backdoor appeared before her as she tore down the corner, her means to escape and freedom from this suffocating hellish place was free from the scaly leather clad figure much to her relief. Her sharp blue eyes went darting about just incase though. Belle glanced down the branching hall as she passed but did not see hide nor tail of the machine peeking behind a corner. A sweet sense of ease should have washed over her as she opened the door, after setting the alarm, and stepped outside into the wide open world and yet… It didn’t, not really.

The door slowly closed behind her in the growing morning rays, casting away the darkness that had been grasping at her all night long, waiting to pull her under and never let go. Belle took a minute to just stand outside Avonlea's cheerier looking exterior with her hand clutching the knob till it finally 'clicked'.

Suddenly a strangled laugh bubbled up from her belly and erupted from her slightly chapped lips. One would think the beauty, so beautiful with a curled smile and squinted eyes surrounded by her mane of untied hair, was truly happy at her survival these last five nights. However, the laughter was missing any true happiness to it's ring. It was simply the need to let out the absurdity of all she had been through that made her act so.

No one would ever believe her about tonight, and she could barely believe it herself. The humorless laughing changed sporadically into silent sobs, and Belle combed herself back into a composed stance after letting the remaining fear have it’s way with her mind for only a short lived moment.

She pulled out her key, locked the door, and turned away, determined to not let herself look back even once at Avonlea. There should be no shame though the feeling coils around her heart and tightens. She had done it, she’d made it through and survived five nights of this ridiculous shift, at least she could hold her head up high on that. Though she braved such unknown horrors there was no way she could go back into that building ever again after what she had endured.

There was still a hint of terror ebbing freely in her veins while she was already feet beyond Avonlea's walls.

How could she even go back inside that place that once brought her such comfort but now left her with dread? Could she even walk down those halls where she knew that mechanical thing lurked in the darkness with terrible teeth hidden from sight? There were enough reasons to fill a book why it'd be completely insane for her to come back, or to even stop by in the day time to explain to Mr. Getto why she was going to out right quit in the first place.

And yet... Against all the reasoning and logic she usually listened to, something inside of her questioned if perhaps she _should_ go back inside of Avonlea.

Because despite being frightening, and cruel, and very rude with it's snappy remarks the animatronic hadn't meant to hurt her. Those amber eyes spoke to her more than any of it's words so far, and it's reactions went beyond what one would think a machine could even show. The true sorrow within it had been bared to her amidst it's quivering and stuttering apologies. The longer she let herself think about the machine the more she could feel the fear twist and change within the confines of her heart. Curiosity unlike any she's ever experienced before was pulling at her, tugging at her hair, skin, and bones to try to understand what exactly she had just met for the first time this dark and lonely night.

The irony didn't go over her head when she recalled her wishful thinking as she sat alone in her swivel chair. She had longed for company here... Didn't she?

With that Belle came to a halt a few good paces out into the parking lot behind the family fun center, a stray several feet from her parked car. The tug of her compassion had finally won out amongst the clutter of emotions that fought each other within her pounding heart. Glancing back, Belle looked to the building with a weary expression upon her face. She scoured it over, but the entire place was still just as dark and empty as every night before, looking perfectly normal to the untrained eye. 

Yet, she didn’t miss the shape of a figure standing at the window in the break room that looked out into the employee parking lot. Just enough light came from the street lamp and the rising sun to illuminate his shape behind the pane of glass-if the machine’s shimmering odd amber eyes didn’t give it away beforehand.

She stood there in place, breathless for a second until her lungs demanded air. The two of them were just staring back at each other, blue eyes locked upon yellow ones that seemed almost to be speaking to her again. Though this time, she did not know what exactly they were trying to tell her.

They looked so familiar somehow, like the ones she had stared back at as a kid from some reflective surface of a hospital waiting room.

 _‘I do indeed have a given name but it’s not important…’_ It's words, haunting and desolate, came back to haunt her as the summer breeze began to pick up and brush her bare arms with it's gentle touch.

“Who are you?” Belle spoke those three words aloud, and she wondered if perhaps it could hear her all the way out there from behind it's window pane.

Surely it couldn’t...

Belle did something then, something she felt inclined to do out of the kindness of her heart or perhaps because her mind was in shambles and her sanity questionable. The security guard's mouth quirked upwards ever so slightly as she gave the machine a little wave of her hand before quickly turning on her heels and hurrying to get inside her car. With a resonating 'clunk' the door closed behind her and then she was off, speeding down the neighborhood streets to get as far as she could from that place for the time being.

No… She shouldn’t come back to this place ever again, not after what had just occurred tonight. It didn't matter whether that being standing at that window was real or not, or if what she saw within it's steel and silicone face was the same thing she felt within herself for most of her life.

Belle French would not- _would not,_ spend another single night in that blasted building as five was clearly enough to tell her to get out!

And yet she knew that she would be back.

—————

'Who are you?'

He didn’t imagine those words slip from those set of lips did he?

No he didn’t. His photographic mind had seen and captured the sight of her perfectly enunciate those three words-and what three powerful words they were. He wanted to answer that question she had bared only to him. He desired to give this human woman his long forgotten given name so that perhaps he could hear it's clunky syllables be spoken out loud at least one last time.

Yet, he didn’t give her his name even when she was the one to request it... Because, he didn’t deserve something so kind as the simple recognition from a living creature after what he had done tonight.

The machine stood at the break room window, lurking like a tormented ghost-which was’t far off from what he was anymore, and stared out as he knew the security guard would soon be leaving. Some faint 'pitter patter' of steps managed to reach his auditory sensors, alerting him the small thing was running down the halls to desperately get out of Avonlea. He closed his eyes momentarily, fighting back the shame and guilt that assaulted his wires and gears in a most uncomfortable manner. 

When he opened them again, he saw through the window slats toward the parking lot where the woman was striding over to her car. Satisfied that he at least saw her off safely leaving after the hell he created, he prepared to turn and sink back into the darkness of his 'home'. However, he kept in place when suddenly the brown haired woman a few paces away from her car was waving at him before hoping into said vehicle in a rush. That small white car had been visiting each night for five nights now, and he allowed himself to watch it and it's driver speed off and disappear completely before retreating back into the shadowed room.

It was all over now. Not just her stay here at Avonlea, for he knew that he must have succeeded in keeping a security guard at bay again, but his own stay within the only place he had ever known. 

Perhaps it was for the best though, after the pain and terror he had just inflicted upon a human being once again, he deserved this long awaited punishment.

“So… This is going to be my last day…” He softly said in a less impish manner. His voice was echoing from the pipes and wires inside his throat without having to move his jaw at all. "I sup-pos-pose I ought to enjoy what's left of it..."

The machine let himself glance about the dark room, his yellow eyes kept looking about the space as if suddenly he was somewhere he had never been before. 

With nothing better to do than what he'd always done, he realized he had about one hour left to take a final stroll.

So he did-or as it properly should be, 'it' did-the machine was always getting mixed up on how to even address itself. Some humans had called it ‘he’ through out the years but most called it ‘it’ or ‘thing, which made logical sense despite the fact it bothered him slightly. 'Augh there I go again! You're an 'it' you deluded piece of junk!' The machine tapped it's own skull, getting a resounding 'tink' to emit from it's steel body. The pronoun ‘he’ was far too human for something like ‘itself’, but even now after twenty eight years the machine was still slipping up and calling itself a ‘himself’.

“Oh, it doesn’t matter really! Nothing matters any-mo-more, especially when you're done for!” He quipped out loud to no one at all. The last hour of it’s existence should allow the machine at least the freedom to call itself whatever he wanted. “Oh dearie dear! I fear-I fear! My end has come about!”

The animatronic strolled out of the break room on 'clacking' steps after that and on through the halls and adjoining rooms. Within the shadows that were starting to thin thanks to the light slipping past the windows the mechanical man slowly took his time to memorize all the little details of the building surrounding him. Perhaps he was hoping to see if he could spot anything new or maybe something unnoticed before in the place he had consistently walked around. He knew it was pointless to do this, for if he truly found something he hadn’t seen before at all (which was doubtful to begin with) it would change nothing of what was to come. 

Still, it was comforting to retrace everything he had ever known and was much better than to think of the things he’d rather not.

As the green gold humanoid wandered through hollow spaces he quickly found the stage in the big entertainment room call out to him loudly amidst the tugs from rest of the building. It could be that his age old programming wanted nothing more than to at least give an imaginary audience one more show before his own final curtain call, which made a sad smile push the faux materials of his lips up on one side. It’d been many many years since he last performed for a human audience full of children or even empty seats at all.

His memories, as he stood before the large wooden platform with red curtains drawn down to conceal the actual performing animatronics, recalled it had been twenty six years since he had been removed from the stage light he had once stood under.

Though his boots nearly took him up the steps to the stage top, he didn't move an inch further as a recent recollection surged forward into the system within his thick skull.

He remembered instantaneously of the woman-the current but soon to be no longer security guard, just the other night standing up there on the dark platform doing what he wished to do so right now. Everything had seemingly gone wrong that night but that... That one moment was one he would like to think was meant to happen. The young woman had thought she was alone when she began her simple tale of a burdened knight on a noble path to cure an ailing father but she was not. Her story, which was more than just simple idea concocted briefly from her imagination, was absorbed and processed by a monster hiding in the darkness just a few feet away. 

Strange enough the machine had found himself enthralled with the woman’s echoing words. Never in the years he's existed had he ever seen or watched anyone do such a thing before in the emptiness of Avonlea. There was so much more to her actions than just enjoying the whimsical feelings of being upon a stage with no one to judge such actions (or so she thought at least). The contours of her fair face had expressed the pain and raw emotion held up inside her so visibly that for him to see such a ‘real’ moment was something utterly baffling to everything he understood. 

It was also incredibly beautiful to see such a 'real' sight upon a breathing creature...

Suddenly he felt his wires in his chest tick away a bit faster as they processed his mixed signals, leaving the scaled machine to shyly reach a clawed hand to touch his chest in confusion to his body's response. Perhaps this is the closest he could 'feel' in correlation to what human's called 'attraction'. The security guard herself was what humans surely would call ‘gorgeous’, 'breathtaking', or even ‘pretty’-and much to his surprise he found he thought so too. She stood a few inches shorter than him, he's rebuilt her image perfectly within his permanent memory, with long auburn hair, bright blue eyes behind dark lashes that squinted with her smiles, and high cheeks that had turned a rosier color when they had spoken tonight.

The young woman wore the uniform well, even if the bow tie pinned at her throat seems a tad large and humorous. He does remember seeing her before this week and her nightly shifts wearing something else. She had looked remarkable in a skirt and yellow blouse the day she came in for her interview, while still seeming to be the same soft and strong willed individual regardless of what she wore ... It was a rare occurrence for him to ever dare being out and about during the day light hours, but he'd been so intrigued by the thought of a female security guard that he had even been brave enough to sneak out and take a glance at the new recruit from within the kitchen.

‘Belle… Her name is Belle. I think that means beauty in another language.’ The machine hummed to itself while pondering about the little security guard. 'Yes, I quite think that is befitting of a name for someone like her.'

Of course that beautiful human moment showing past the flesh and blood of his night guard was a moment no monster should be allowed to witness. Sure enough he had shattered the repose and peace the young woman had found when he had bumped into a chair awkwardly in his awe of her, easily startling her and startling himself even more. Though he had been meaning to frighten her away from the very beginning of the week, from the very first night she had wandered down the hall and past the pane of glass he had stood behind, that one moment had truly been an accident out of them all.

Despite having meant to have her sprinting from this place in terror as he had done to all the other guards, the fear she had worn these last few nights haunted him now.

The dread he had seen in her eyes when they met at the back door-the absolute terror on her face as he chased her, all of this was permanently engraved into memory banks never to be forgotten and rightfully so. He’d seen many faces in his early years look upon him with terror, disgust, mockery, and disinterest and yet that one fascinating human face of lush lips and sky blue eyes wide with horror assaulted his operating system the most.

It began then, the flood of memories that could never be tossed out or removed from the chips and technology built into his head. They were nearly crippling him with their ferocity, and the machine reached up and held it’s head for a few moments to try and stop the onslaught of visionary human faces all looking at him with awful faces. The beauty Belle was there amongst them, another to add to the collection of horrified expressions that had him nearly tearing his claws into the sockets of his head to rip his optic sensors straight out.  

"Please stop-please stop… I'm sorry! I truly am! Please just stop!" The machine cried to the empty air, standing alone and hunched over as if in a pain unlike any other.

Eyes-so many sets of eyes, some pinpointed and some whole and human, bore right into him, causing his metal frame to shake and rattle from this overwhelming ‘feeling’ he did not understand. His system was attempting a response to these errors occurring, but it was unable to find just what it was that had him screaming so.

It never could.

“Please-please! Go away! GO AWAY! LEAVE ME ALONE... P-Please...” The machine whimpered and the mass of memories, mixed with haunting imagery of blood and gore all mattered across floor and between his own teeth, finally came to an end. All the systems regained proper control those seconds after, while the scaled man let his eyes fling back open, still whole and connected within the pivots in his head.

He recovered once more as he lifted his head from his hands, letting his scraggily grey hair fall across some of his shadowed face. 

With the quiet settling back in from the absence of his cries he realized something quite sad. A truth that was as brutally painful as it was necessary.

“Yes, what will happen to me is for the best.” He chirped to no one at all, as he always did.

Without warning the internal clock wired into his machinery became active, making the animatronic recoil and stand up straight. It was part of his system's warnings, with it being so close to seven after all, and he had to fight his self spawned programming from consuming his thoughts and filling his head with age old commands. Instead of fighting himself, for he was too 'tired' to deal with such menial actions tonight, he gave into some of them-at least the one that involved the regular routine of his mornings before it was time to retreat.

Staggering on heavy steps, the machine returned to moving about in the dark halls, preparing to hide itself away till his judgement call came. He passed several of the private party rooms down the long route before the security office finally appeared on his right hand side. For some reason he suddenly came to a slight halt right beside the open door, cocking his head slightly at the room that was now just as dark and lifeless as the rest of the building.

Perhaps he was feeling guilty more than usual for causing this room to become inhabited again, for the woman named Belle had him actually regretting his actions like no one had before... He did feel terrible for what he had done to her, but there was more than that. Something was quite out of place within the room that he had noticed instantly, thanks to his unnecessary need to memorize everything.

“She… forgot her jack-ck-jacket.” He spoke aloud, his voice quivering upon the last word as he laid eyes upon the piece of clothing resting on the chair.

For a few seconds he simply stared at it with a set of fingers kneading against each other at chest level, wondering why he was so drawn to it. Though he was not sure what he was exactly doing or hoping to achieve, he broke away from his current programmings routine and reached out to grab the jacket. A swell of desire to keep the personal effect as his own surged through his wires and sparks as he brought it to his body in clenched hands before continuing onwards.

It wasn’t as if he could even enjoy what value a jacket could give oneself (it would be a tad bit small anyways-he'd look ridiculous). Jackets were made to keep humans warm and he did not feel warmth nor the cold-or any sensations of those sort. He also knew jackets could ‘smell’ like someone, as he's heard, and bring comfort to another, but he has no sense of smell or any clue of it. It also served him no protection against rain and the elements since he didn’t ever stand underneath such things...

Why then, did the weight of it in his hands and the thought of it's owner bring his mind some form of… peace?

With a soft snort the machine decided there was no point on thinking about it further. He was faulting and broken beyond repair anyways, he might as well let himself enjoy the comfort the silly little piece of clothing gave him.

His stroll resumed after that, till the maintenance room door, his final stop on his journey, appeared on his left hand side down the hall. With a sense of growing weariness the leather clad machine stood before the seal to his coffin, allowing himself one last lidded glance about Avonlea before he prepared for his burial.

With a flourish he turned to face the empty space stretching before him with a maniacal smile revealing the metal knives for teeth behind his lips. 

“Good night Avonlea, the only home I've ever known… I hope that you are taken care of well in my absence. I'm sorry... I've let you down again, but maybe things will cha-an-nge for the better with me gone, eh?" There was a strange tick at his eyes, from sparks or corroded wiring he wasn't quite sure. He waited for something to happen at the edge of his sockets, but nothing occurred, so he pushed the odd sensation away.

Twirling the handle of the door behind him he stepped inside the room, and with a final bow he closed the door after him with a resounding click of finality.

All was quiet for a good several minutes before the backdoor opened at exactly seven in the morning, followed by the sound of Mr. Getto's steps.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Belle escapes from Avonlea after encountering the strange creature that turns out to be a mysterious discarded animatronic she has never seen before. Conflicted on what to do with this knowledge Belle must make up the choice to give away the machine's secret or be forced possibly facing it another night at Avonlea.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 06/30/15- Chapter Four first-revision completed.

The sun was lazily peaking out over the dark line of forest trees and the landscape of Storybrooke by the time Belle had parked her car right outside the library and her apartment above. She had returned home from her fifth night at Avonlea while above the heavy star’s bright beams kissed the earth in hues of yellows and reds letting the late summer heat bite back at the nights cooler touch. Despite this wonderful Saturday morning, that everyone well within town could easily enjoy, all Belle could do was stumble into her living room, forcibly sit upon her couch, and stare off at the remaining empty wall of her living room.

As she sat there her thoughts tumbled and chaotically moved in a flurry within her head. The sight of the bare white wall was such a clean contrast to her current mental state, allowing her to recollect her shattered self in bits and pieces. It was then that Belle finally realized, amidst the rampage going on behind her eyes, that she had forgotten her jacket back in the security guards office. A broken frustrated groan escaped her throat in a gurgle, slipping out as she slipped back into the comfort of her couch.

“Might as well consider that one good as gone, or perhaps I'll go back where that strange scary machine is lurking about and try to get it back.” She murmured to herself with the slightest hint of sarcasm.

After a few minutes of simply lying back into the plush cushion to relax Belle sat back up and then dug into her pants pocket. The young woman took out her cellphone for the one hundredth time, or so it seemed, and stared at the small screen. Hesitation was carved into her fair features and her bottom lip tucked itself underneath her teeth while she pushed herself to make the call she'd been meaning to since she left Avonlea. However, the cellphone merely sat in her hand, and after a few seconds more of indecision Belle set it upon the coffee table harshly. She tore off her vizor and combed her hair with her fingers as she sat, staring at the little device, wondering and puzzling over why she wasn’t- _couldn’t_ make the call.

‘I have to call Marco. I have to tell him what I saw-he needs to know about everything that happened today!’ Logic berated her for her lack of action, but it was not enough to get her to reach out and even grab the cellphone again. ‘That machine… What is it even trying to do keeping the night watch away? From the sounds of it the thing has scared off so many other people besides just me, all the other security guards have left because of it. How can I even know for sure that it didn’t actually hurt anyone?’

Yet when Belle gently touched the bandage on her still throbbing head, having not taken it off despite probably needing a new one now, she felt deep within her gut that the machine hadn't meant to intentionally hurt anyone nor her.

It didn't change the bizarre and frightening facts about everything that had happened last night though.

There was an entirely made of metal being-a somehow rouge machine unlike anything she’d ever seen in her entire life, that was hidden away in Avonlea unknown to anyone save herself. That alone called for some serious action on her part to do something about it. The more Belle thought about it the more she understood why she really needed to make that call that she just couldn't seem to make. 'What if it some how went crazy like it had chasing after me, but during the day time hours? Kids, children, and the staff too could all possibly get hurt too or terrified by that scaly looking animatronic...'

All these rational possible fears started welling up within the hollow spaces of Belle's chest and began suffocating her in their weight.

Even with all these worrisome thoughts taking hold a small part of her confidently told the young woman that none of these fears would happen.

‘I’m still alive after all.' Belle thought and her eyebrows relaxed as her lidded eyes closed with her tiredness settling in. 'It didn’t want to hurt me despite what it did, which was horribly cruel no matter which way you slice it… But it really seemed so sorry and almost scared in its own way.’

The way the machine had spoke of itself caused her a great sadness of her own as a pain settled in her heart that was one she somehow knew too well. The machine was expecting it was going to be destroyed or removed because of what it had done, and she, the night guard simply doing her job, would be essentially it’s _executioner_ if she made the call and told Mr. Getto of all that had happened.

'But it's just a machine, right? It's not like it's really alive, and yet... I know I see a light in it's eyes that it shouldn't have, and it acts like it's completely sentient or something... Oh god, what do I do? This-this wasn't included in the job description!' Belle grumbled her frustrations out loud with a weary groan and placed the palm of her hands against her eyes.

The heart beating beneath her ribs fought the logic rattling off in her head-each retaliated in kind so the vicious endless cycle repeated itself over and over. Eventually the madness had to come to an end, and Belle decided for right now she wasn't going to be making any tremendous judgement on the fate of the machine, especially when it's 'life' and it's 'fate' didn't belong in her hands. It was part of her code, or her life belief she liked to say, that everyone had to choose their own fate or decide it for themselves...

However, Belle just didn't know if that counted for moving masses of metal shaped like people with actual consciousness hidden inside family fun centers.

Regardless, right now sleep was calling to her through her weary muscles and sliding eyelids, but as the beauty attempted to gain some rest when she climbed into bed she found couldn’t sleep no matter how badly she wanted to. Tossing and turning about in the comfort of her comforters did nothing to relieve the vivid memories that seemed just like what they were in her head right now-a nightmare or some feverish dream. With her chestnut curls spilt about the pillow and the curtains closed to allow some reprieve from the suns light, Belle was left to lay there and wearily watch the darkness of the room as if afraid the animatronic she had met would pop out at any given moment to purposely frighten her once more.

Eventually she gave up on getting proper sleep too. Instead of sticking to her days normal schedule Belle quickly called into her other job, leaving a message about not feeling well (she was still feeling nauseous at this point in time) and that she couldn’t come in. The call worked for keeping her from leaving her apartment nor seeing another human being for right now, but simply hiding away all day wasn’t going to work out to help her calm down, even if it sounded like an excellent idea. 

By an hour later Belle was already pacing up and down the hall of her small 'home' in deep thought, her features were scrunched and her fingers played with the edge of her night gown as she did so. She was still torn on her indecision on what to do about the machine as well as her part time job that was becoming quite more disturbing than one could think-and oh, there was the possible idea that maybe none of this was real and she was just losing her mind.

Belle stopped in her tracks, standing quietly and rather still in the small empty space of her hallway.

‘Maybe everyone will think you’ve gone crazy or lost your marbles if you say anything. Think about it-who would believe you on something like that? Or do you really even believe it either? You have no absolute proof of anything after all...’ An awful little voice had begun to whisper into her ears and Belle rested her side up against the cool wall all while begging it to be quiet. Already she could feel the terrible memories from long ago trickle back into the fore front of her mind, though she wished they would not go where she knew they would.

'No body will say it to your face but you know they will think it if you go on and blabber about seeing such strange crazy things. They’ll all be thinking you’re losing your mind, and your father will worry start to worry that you're turning out just like your mother-'

“Shut up!” Belle growled out far louder than she meant to in response to the anxious thoughts whirling in her head. Embarrassment flushed her pale cheeks a few moments later after her loud shout, and the beauty hoped the people down in the library below hadn’t heard her talking out loud to herself. The librarians downstairs might really start to think the renter upstairs was as 'odd' as most people thought. “I’m not crazy-I didn’t lose my mind, and I’m going to prove it.”

Sitting around her apartment hiding from the world wasn’t going to change anything but going out to find herself some answers… It was the only choice she had if she wanted to make any sense of the frightening going ons inside the most friendly looking building in the entire town.

Finally, with her resolution and her bravery back in their proper place, Belle found her decision was made.

After taking a few extra minutes to clean herself up, as well as replacing her worn bandage with a new one, Belle had changed into her usual clothes (a simple skirt and light blouse combination to help stave off the heat) to get a moving in her new plans. She was still rather nauseous, even more so with what she was going to be facing sooner or later, so she skipped having any breakfast and went out the door, briskly walking back to her car. It was nine in the morning now, and she was positive that someone would be at her first destination, the police station, for her to talk to and casually gather some information from. Afterwards, depending on what intel she could gather, she was not sure exactly what she would do.

Part of her knew there would only be one final place she had left to go to but the young woman didn’t want to...

However, she was willing to do whatever it took to understand the truth of the animatronic she had met, even if that meant she’d have to go back to Avonlea.

—————

Though she was still a bit nervous Belle found her voice ring out strong and true as her heels clicked to a stop against the linoleum floor.

“Hello? Sheriff Graham are you here?”

Right now Ms. French was standing in the rather empty lobby of Storybrooke's small police station, which was a rather nice building though it was fairly small. Storybrooke was hardly a crime filled community though, so the lack of the building's size wasn't much an issue. Altogether inside there were about two side by side jail cells towards the back, the Sheriff's personal office, and a some desk spaces for the few others that even worked there. As Belle glanced about and stepped a few feet further into the building she found everything was pretty much the same despite the long amount of time she hadn't set foot here. Not that she had ever been in any trouble to warrant a visit herself as a criminal, but she had stopped by once before when her father had forgotten his wallet to pay for a speeding ticket.

Overall it seemed the police station had a little bit of remodeling but nothing too dramatic like Avonlea had done. 

‘It's hardly changed, but please don’t tell me there is suddenly going to be a mechanical man hiding around here as well.’ Belle thought dryly to herself in an attempt to steel her jumpy nerves while striding into the back past the empty front desk.

“Ms French?” Suddenly Grahams voice was heard around the corner that Belle was coming up to. “I’m right here in the back.”

The young woman turned into the back of the police department and found Graham standing near an aged looking desk alongside a tall blonde haired woman that Belle had never seen before-not around this little sleepy town at least. The unfamiliar woman gave her a faint worn smile despite seeming rather unenthused about being here, possibly because she was forced to, so Belle just smiled back politely.

Graham stepped aside and approached Belle, and she noticed that he was looking well rested in comparison to the last time she saw him about three weeks ago.

“Sorry if I'm interrupting something important, but I was wondering if you could help me with finding someone-well, where they live here in town.” Belle began in a calm tone despite already fretting that the kind Sheriff would be able to sense the white lie she was not particularly happy to be using. “It’s not rather important, I can come back later if you need me to.”

Belle could tell the Sheriff had noticed her fresh bandage adorned on her head with a flicker of his eyes but he didn’t react or say anything about it. “No it’s alright, we were just finishing up some paperwork. Will you be fine if I leave you a moment Ms. Swan? I mean, unless you feel the need to damage any police signage that is.” Graham spoke to the woman with a soft joking tone, earning a rather unamused quirk of an eyebrow from the red leather jacket clad Ms. Swan.

She nodded but kept looking at her paperwork with a steady gaze and pen trapped in hand. “Trust me I won’t be running off-nor damaging any more of your local signage, you have my word." Signage? Perhaps the blonde haired woman was here thanks to some accidental property damage, she did appear to be finalizing on some forms. However, Belle decided she really didn’t need to stick her nose where it didn’t belong, minding her innate curiosity as usual. “Not like I can really with what you did to my car…”

With that Graham turned back to Belle and motioned for her towards his office where they both could continue their conversation in private. Together they wandered into his comfy space with the door gently closing behind them with a faint 'click'.

“Now what’s this about finding someone? No one is in any trouble are they?” The Sheriff kept a rather serious face now as he asked his questions, and though he didn't sound desperately concerned she could clearly see it in the sharp grey blue of his eyes.

Belle bit her bottom lip a moment while trying to find the right words to say without giving up too much information on her end but enough to satisfy his own curiosity and worry. “I just finished my first week at Avonlea yesterday, or last night technically, and I found something I believe belongs to the previous night watch before me.”

Graham seemed quite interested at that, his blue eyes lighting up ever so slightly while the cogs in his mind seemed to be whirling. “And what was it you found? I happen to know the boy who Mr. Getto hired before you-all I will say is that it was thanks to some unfortunate business, but I can give him a call so he can come get whatever it is if you need me to.”

Belle shook her head quickly to stop him right away. She didn't feel getting Graham involved in this was necessary-not if she didn't have to. This was best described as a _delicate_ situation, for both her and the possible animatronic she was still trying to figure out on what to do with. “I'm sorry, but what I found is best described as private. The young man left a message on a tape for the next security guard working at Avonlea, and I need to know why he left such a... Silly message, just between us.”

A silly message about a horrifying demon lurking in the halls of the supposedly most family friendly establishment in all of Maine was not the accurate way to describe it.

Graham gave a soft sigh after a few moments of silence, he was at least seeming willing to cooperate even though he knew little of why she was making her visit. “All right, I understand where you're coming from, so I'll help you as best as I can. For starters the young man's name is Cooper Wulf, but before I give you his contact information I have to ask… Why you didn’t just go and ask Marco? He has on file all the previous night guards information including their addresses and I'm sure he would have understood as well.”

Always a quick witted one their Sheriff was. Belle on the other hand felt herself blanch a bit at her own lack of foresight with coming to see Graham, for she knew how he caught onto things rather easily-it was part of his job after all. As she stood there Belle had to forcefully fight off the truth that was wanting to pour out of her throat and out into the open air when she looked at him and his gentle expression. He’d always been a good person to her for the years she knew him, after all he watched out for her old man in the time she was gone, and it felt terrible to lie to him

“I didn’t possibly want to get him in trouble further with management since he abruptly left work in the first place.” That was true in a sense, Belle didn't want to cause a commotion with this Cooper Wulf fellow, though honestly she knew she mostly didn't want to stir anything up with her mysterious robotic figure more. “If you understand what I mean… It’s really not that of an huge issue, but I feel like if I didn’t check up on him I might not be doing the right thing.”

The scruffy man stared at her a bit more with firm eyes before his serious look softened once again. 

“Very well, I trust you in comparison to a lot of people, so I’ll give you his address-his current one at least.” Graham finally complied with her initial inquiry and Belle thanked him grateful for his assistance in her search. After jotting down something on a scrap of paper he handed it over, letting Belle see the name of the street and house number written upon it. Once more she thanked him as they exited his office together and walked towards the front doors of the station. Carefully Belle tucked that scrap into the confines of her purse as they walked while feeling herself growing more nervous and excited at the prospect of finally getting somewhere with her need for answers.

“Belle if there is something wrong or you’re worried about something you can always call the station, you know that right?” Graham's hand landed on her shoulder in a gesture of comfort and Belle nodded in response. If anything went too terrible today she knew she could count on him-she just really hoped she wouldn't have to. “Okay-take care then, and tell you're father I'm wishing well.”

“Will do, and thank you so much for your help. I'll bring you a slice of pizza next time I'm in the neighborhood!” Belle replied cheerily, earning a playful grin from her friend, before saying good bye and making a hasty retreat upon pattering heels to her car. Adrenaline strum through her veins and heart as she got inside her vehicle and buckled in to get back onto her search. There was all the info she needed to track down the previous night guard on the piece of paper she withdrew from her purse, and so far it seemed there was nothing for her to truly worry about. The kid wasn’t dead or hadn't been horribly injured, or else she surely would have heard about it in the local news and Graham would have mentioned it as they spoke today. 

At least if she confronted the young man about seeing the same _'thing'_ she had maybe it might just give her just an extra bit of confidence that she wasn’t going mad.

Still, it didn't mean she knew what she was even going to do with such information, for it was pointless to have it if she wasn't going to act upon it. Even if she got another eye witness to prove her claim that the rouge animatronic was real, Belle didn't know what choice would be the best to make in response. Would she and this Cooper Wulf fellow reveal the scaled machine's existence together or would she just endanger the machine's life by bringing another person in on this?

With a heavy sigh, Belle pushed that all aside and started her car up, letting it's engine whirl and set her forth on their next stop in this seemingly long day.

"44 Sycamore street, here I come."

—————

With aided directions Belle found it wasn’t hard to find Mr. Cooper Wulf’s house.

It appeared the young man didn’t live too far from the crowded neighborhood nearby the police station, and Belle remembered the following streets from her past years of walking to the middle school from her father's flower shop. A few happy memories bounced through the veil of nervousness that still clung to her as she drove past familiar sights all while searching for that one address. Finally, when her car came to a stop against any empty portion of curbside the security guard was greeted to a view of a simple small house bearing the house number '44'.

'This is the place, and it looks like someone's home too-I hope it's this Cooper kid.' Belle thought to herself as she stepped out of her car upon the 'patter' of her heels. Her blue eyes flickered over to the drive and took note of the small, and a bit worn out with it's rusted edges, vehicle that sat back further in the drive way.

Overall the house she was walking up the sidewalk to was as ordinary as one could get. It had a quaint white trim and glossy paint coating the siding, a big red front door, and a yard that needed to be mowed in a few days before the thick grass overtook the curb and launched an assault at the structure itself. Despite looking as normal as a home as any the beauty was still a bit intimated at approaching, though she bounced up the concrete steps without any hesitation.

Belle quickly rapped on the door with her knuckles several times and stood waiting a response. Gently her face softened a bit with a thin smile when her keen eyes landed on a ceramic sheep in the flowerbed next to the threshold where some wild daisies were all clumped together in a big vibrant group.

“I’ll be right there!” A young man’s voice spoke up a few moments later beyond the walls and then the door opened after a few locks clicked back into place. Belle stepped back a bit and kept her nervous hands on her purse and strap to it to try to keep them from tugging at the sleeves of light jacket over one of her favorite blue dresses. She definitely didn't need to make the boy anxious right from the get go or else she might not get the information she was wanting. 

“Hello… Can I help you?” The younger man spoke up as he appeared behind the glass door still seemingly dressed in what she assumed were his pajamas. It was already eleven in the morning, but clearly the boy had just been sleeping with how his semi curly blonde hair fluffed up terribly on one side of his head-not that his bleary looking eyes didn't give that away before hand.

“Ah, you must be Mr. Cooper Wulf.” As he opened the glass door one of his brows lifted in slight confusion at her as she continued on with the introduction. “I'm sorry to disturb you... We’ve never met before, but I’m Belle French, my father owns the florist shop here-Mr. Moe French.”

Her fathers name seemed to spark at least some dazed recognition from him and his lidded brown eyes. “Oh yeah, Ol’ Mr. French. I heard he just went to the hospital not to long ago. Him, some buddies of his, and my dad play poker some nights over here. Oh... By the way is he okay?” The boy looked more bashful then anything at this point and Belle realized that perhaps he thought she was here to deliver some ill news or something.

“No-no! He’s doing fine for right now, but I came here to ask you some questions about something else if you’ll allow me.” Belle felt her throat getting slightly dry but braved through the awkwardness as the boy scratched his neck and looked at her with semi suspicious eyes. “You worked at Avonlea as a security guard didn’t you, just about three weeks ago or so?”

“Yeah… It was a short gig, but I didn’t do anything or take anything if that’s what your here about.” Cooper nervously trailed off, and Belle began to wonder if perhaps there was more to this story than Marco or Graham had cared to mention.

“Don’t worry-I’m not with the police or anything. I just have some concerns of my own that involve the night shift. You see, you left a tape recorder in the office with a cryptic message for the next security guard, I assume, on the last night before you quit. I’m the security guard right now-”

Suddenly the scraggly young man burst out a short laugh before he quickly clamped his mouth shut as it to conceal it. Belle's continuously polite look faltered a bit with this sudden change in character, and she ended up peering at him even more suspiciously than he had at her.

“I left a message on a tape recorder? Oh my god! I’m so so sorry-shit. I don't remember even doing that, not really.”

“Wait-you don’t remember doing that?” Belle put her hands on her hips a bit grumpily now as the boy sheepishly messed with the handle of the glass door he was keeping held open off to the side. “Do you remember anything at all of that night? Please, it’s super important because you left an alarming message behind that frightened me.”

This fact seemed to whittle at the amusement settled on Cooper's face as he swiftly looked about the street behind her (as if someone might be spying or something ridiculous like that). “Look... You can’t tell anyone about this, especially not Mr. Getto or Sheriff Graham if that's how you found me. The truth is that last night I worked-well, I was so bored that I... If you work there you know how it is. There’s literally nothing to do and sitting in that chair the whole night can drive a person crazy. Anyways, to pass the time I had brought in some… I brought some LSD to keep me entertained, and well…”

“So you were on a trip at work?” Belle snapped back more harshly than she meant to at him, but this was not at all what she had been hoping to obtain with her 'investigation'. Belle herself had never been the type interested in using drugs, she didn't even really drink either, but as a person she didn’t condone those who found a little fun in their own lives using them-it was their choice… But doing so at work?

Belle had to fight off the need to pinch the bridge of her nose in front of him with the building frustration.

She threw out a hand slightly displaying a bit of said frustration, though she hoped she could still get anything useful at all out of the boy. “The demon and it’s horrible face you mentioned in the recording-you don’t remember that at all then I assume? You had talked about how it was going to 'get' you and you hid in a closet to escape it.”

The young man’s eyes widened, and she could see his skin was turning a few shades redder. “I do remember _'seeing'_ a demon with a scary face, but I saw a lot of scary shit that night. Something went wrong with my stuff because it was a bad trip! Was one of the worst ones I had in years, and I just had to get out of there… I'm sorry lady, if I caused you some trouble or anything with that message, it was me just wigging out over nothing real."

"So why did you leave so quickly then? You didn't even tell Mr. Getto you weren't coming back, and a no-show is no good." Belle didn't even want to get into how rude it was the boy did that-even though she could feel another scolding building up within her mind. _'Good rid-dan-dance I say.'_ The nameless animatronic of last night had spoke, as Belle recalled it's words, and she she felt she had to agree with it on at least that.

"I know I should have, but I had already found another job by the time I agreed to work for Mr. Getto. It was a good thing too, because no way was I going to stick around, not even if they upped the pay. That place is still fucking creepy at night! Have you looked at those animatronics back stage in the dark? That's some real nightmare fuel.”

Once more the beauty felt another overwhelming urge to sigh, but she refused do that right in front of the kid. With everything she'd been trying to establish as 'fact' falling apart at the seams she felt pestering him any further wasn't necessary. “Thank you for taking the time to answer my silly questions. I’m very sorry to have bothered you.”

She was turning to leave and make it down those stone steps when Cooper abruptly spoke up. “Are you okay miss? I didn't freak you out too much did I?”

“I’m honestly fine, really. Have a good rest of your day Mr. Wulf.” Belle kindly spoke before she quickly turned and headed back to her car parked across the street. The sound of the glass door slamming closed behind her and some faint mumbles reached her ears as she walked, but it was hard to hear with the pounding of her heart starting to fill her still sore skull with each powerful thump.

After all she had gone through this morning she was back to square one with nothing at all to show for it. 

Belle touched her head as she reached for the handle of her car door, feeling a faint pang dart through her skull from the wound under the bandage. 'At least the kid looked perfectly fine.' Her mind noted upon the thought which relieved her somewhat and finally allowed the sigh to part from her rosy lips. He had no cuts or abrasions still clearly visible on his body nor nothing mentally permanently scarred so it seemed with how normal he seemed to be going about his life-besides his own drug created hallucinations of course.  

This all meant the animatronic man had been true to it’s word. It really hadn’t hurt anyone at all-with her as the exception but that was a different case than the other previous security guards. Yet why was it trying to push humans so far away from working the night shift, and how come it seemed to not exist at all any other time of day? Why wasn’t it with the other machines on stage, and why did it act like it had a consciousness or some form of self awareness no machine should ever have?

It looks like she'll never have the answers for these questions unless she asks the odd machine itself-if it was truly real and she hadn't gone crazy.

Belle rested her forehead against her car steering wheel when she sat in her seat, allowing herself to grumble in her spanning tiredness. There was only one course of action for her left to take to get anywhere and she was not ready for it despite her need for answers to make her insatiable curiosity content. What other choices did she have though? There was always the option of doing just what Cooper had done and just ditch the job-though it would put a bit of dent on her wallet for a short while. Immediately the mere thought of upping and quitting was wiped from her mind as she shook her head. That wasn't what Belle did, she didn't just up and leave something after making a promise even if she was frightened by it.

There was also the fact that even now the beauty could feel herself being drawn even more into the mystery of the scaled machine that lurked in her work place. Fighting tooth and nail with her own emotions didn't change the that her desire to understand the thing-to know what it was or what it even called itself was far worse than her fear of it.

She wanted to know why it looked so lonely even though it couldn't possibly be able to feel such a a thing at all.

"Oh Belle, what have you gotten yourself into?" The young woman groaned to the emptiness of her car before she reached out her hand and turned the keys, igniting the engine of her car to a start. 

Making up her mind right then and there, knowing there was no remaining choice besides the path left for her, the security guard promised that Monday she’d be going back to Avonlea.

She just hoped her intuition wasn't going to fail her on this one.

—————

Her stomach was a queasy mess by the time she arrived in the parking lot of Avonlea two days later. It was already well past noon and lunch time, as she wanted to make sure she caught Mr. Marco incase he might be back from some outing, but her stomach grumbled beneath her blouse as if running on empty. Truth was, Belle hadn’t eaten a single bite all day, but the thought of eating anything right now was making the sickly ache even worse.

The smell of delicious pizza wafting from the business, that was usually a blessing to her senses, didn't quite help.

Already she was growing apprehensive of going back inside that building where she 'knew' that thing lurked somewhere in the shadows. Belle was standing out a few feet away from the castle-esque molded walls, her lip tucked between her teeth and revealing her anxiousness along with her furrowed eyebrows. For a moment she allowed herself the comfort of combing back her hair and making sure she was decent looking (and not sweating like she felt she might be). Her trailing hands happened to brush against the fresh bandage on the side of her head with her fingers, making her flinch just a moment. Carefully Belle combed through her hair so the wound would be better hidden, at least she wouldn’t have everyone at Avonlea staring or trying to inquire about it.

Touching the bandage just reminded her again of what all had happened two days ago. The bizarre unexplainable night seemed to be so far away now and yet felt as if it had just happened minutes ago.

‘You have no reason to be afraid. It’s daylight, you've never seen that thing when Avonlea's open and there’s quite a few people here for a Monday. You’re going to be totally fine-be brave.’ Belle encouraged herself upon a gentle exhale of a soft breath. With that new forged bravery steeling her heart the security guard found herself striding forward, pushing against the burly entrance doors, and wandering back into the belly of the building.

So far it seemed to be the least busiest day she's seen so far of Avonlea during open hours. No big birthday party was set up in the dinning area and Belle glanced about and found no big group of kids romping about in an uproar of fun. There was also no one at the reception area nor desk right now, and Belle realized that perhaps she should have called ahead to ask Marco to spare a moment of his time. However, if she had gone about that route he would have known for sure there was something quite wrong, and she didn’t want that-most likely nor would the animatronic.

Casually the security guard moved on and strolled through the building, heading over to the separated play area where a few parents stood nearby watching. Passing the large panes of glass let her blue eyes peer inside, and they caught sight of a group of young boys darting about on the medieval themed play equipment and throwing themselves into the massive ball pit with delighted squeals. The play room of the old version of Avonlea was nothing compared to this, and it warmed Belle's heart at the pure joy this place still brought to kids all these years later. A soft smile crept back onto her fair features, deepening the beauty she held so naturally, and she amused herself a bit more by inspecting their ball pit dives and giving silent scores.

Out of the blue Belle felt a tingling sensation begin at the back of her neck and squirm it's way down her spine in a most unpleasant manner.

It almost felt as if someone was watching her...

Was it possible that the mechanical man was already roaming the halls during the day? During her tour with Mr. Getto she hadn’t seen hide or tail of the machine at all nor had she had any clue it even existed in the first place. She easily deduced that it must have some way of moving around without being seen or a hideout that kept it concealed from Avonlea's day time visitors.

Anxiously her sharp blue eyes darted about her surroundings, but the young woman caught no glimpse of those alien like yellow eyes glowing from some dark corner to stare back at her as they had before. Belle turned her head to glance at the kitchen doors from where she stood, but no one linger in the circle window. Was it possible that figure she had seen standing behind those doors during her interview tour had been the unnamed animatronic?

‘Just how long has this machine been living here then? Has it… No, it couldn't have been here this whole time.’

Deciding to turn away from the intimidating prospect Belle made up her mind that while she was here she might as well scope out the place to see if she could possibly find any leads herself. Quietly she strolled away from the windows to not catch so much attention from the few customers in today, though she had little to worry about from them or the staff inquiring about her actions. The first place her night guard instinct drew her to inspect was the backstage area behind the lanky beautiful red curtains that had not been drawn open yet for any shows. Curiosity gnawed further at her empty gurgling stomach, and her feet soon found themselves striding up the steps onto the big open space of stage (not before she gave the sleeping mechanical dragon a loving pat on it’s snout). It felt so silly to be doing this, but Belle forced herself onward, slowly pushing back enough of the curtain for her to slip through and away from all prying eyes.

There was a bit of light filtering back to the concealed portion of stage but only from the top of the curtains. This effect seemed to create the perfect home of jagged shadows for some machine to perhaps, _lurk_ unnoticed during some of the brighter hours. Fighting off the willies crawling at the nape of her neck Belle began to examine the equipment and space more properly than she had on her first tour.

Levers, buttons, machinery of all sorts were set up for the scenic pieces and large backdrops to be manually rotated, and the security guard was suprised by all the mechanics that were needed into operating such amusing performances. It seemed there was also space that went further beyond into the darkness behind these painted slabs of scenery, though Belle didn't dare to go investigating that without the proper amount of lighting to see what might just be hiding. With a turn she moved from the backset of steps dropping off into the unknown and nearly let out a yelp upon seeing the shape of a figure in her peripheral vision.

However, the beauty let out a soft gush of air on a short laugh when she realized that all she was seeing was one of the stage animatronics standing where it always did.

All three of the human shaped machines were bent over at the waist and laying limp like hanging puppets in their deactivated state. There was the evil queen, the prince, and the darling princess all where they should be, looking only slightly creepy with their completely emotionless faces staring off at the ground. Overall they were still pretty cute, as their features were heavily cartoonish and exaggerated to please children-which was a considerable contrast from the semi realistic mold and look the mysterious walking and talking one had. 

‘There's no show going on and like always there's only three back here… That other one, there's no way it's part of the show, but then where does it go? Or what does it even do here?' Belle knelt down on her knees to inspect the evil queen's legs beneath the hem of her stylish black gown and confirmed that the metal limbs were stuck together on a shaft, slotted into grooves in the floor, that let her be pulled and pushed into place in the tracks. None of these animatronics could possibly move or even take sturdy steps-there was no way they could even leave or wander about if they wanted to. ‘Yet that green scaly one had walked and moved just about like a human can… How is that possible? I don't think anyone has even made robotics close enough to do just that yet.'

Suddenly, while Belle was deep in thought, something moved right in front of her a few feet away and rose up with a 'clattering' sound. Finally a suprised yelp tore out of her throat unintentionally when she noticed, and Belle jumped back in response to the shadowy figure. Luckily she managed not to topple over in her haste to escape thanks to her feet nearly tripping up all over one another.

“Woah there. I didn’t intend to startle you when I heard you sneak back here, but you do know that you have to be ten or under to be part of the show, right?”

A regular flesh and blood man stood next to the limp metal prince, wearing a rather amused smile on his face, as he rubbed his hands on a worn red rag and also over what had to be a small wrench. An amused smile was spread across his lips at her clearly apparent fluster, and he tucked his rag and tool into the pocket of his pants before reaching down and grabbing a small turned off flashlight. The little tool came to life with a flick and lit up the world around them, letting her get a better look at the stranger who was having probably having a look at her himself. 

Belle felt a bit flushed at this point and cursed whatever force it was that was punishing her for her insatiable curiosity (and that also kept having her be frightened within this building time and time again).

She spoke up quickly, not letting herself back out of this confrontation-she did work here after all. “I simply didn’t see you there, it's rather dark back here as you've probably noticed, and no... I had not been informed there was an age limit.”

Belle's eyes wandered over the stranger, taking in his appearance and trying to place just who it was-though she knew she'd never met him before. The man wasn’t wearing any type of uniform nor the Avonlea garb that the other employees wore. The dark haired stranger was dressed in a simple black long sleeve shirt and dark wash jeans that was completed with a pair of motorcycle boots. A bit of scruff was spread across his chin and jawline, and she noted that the lightest color on his person had to be the light blue of his cunning eyes.

However, what caught her attention the most was the tool box settled on the ground next to the animatronic.

“Are you the mechanic by chance?” Belle inquired of the stranger. Marco had told her that Avonlea had a proper mechanic to deal with most of the technologies here that he didn't quite feel adequate enough to repair if need be. Being the night guard meant she didn't see most of the crew who worked, so she had no clue who did everything around Avonlea or everyone that was employed there.

“You could say that.” The man shrugged his shoulders a bit, before bending down to also pick up the tool box in his free hand. “I help the old man keep this place running when I’m over for a visit-most of the time.” Despite his seemingly rather lax nature, that the studious woman had collected so far, there was something not quite… Trustworthy, over this new face. However Belle's life long philosophy of 'not judging a book by it's cover' made her quell the negative responses for the time being. 

“Then it’s nice to meet you sometimes-the-mechanic." A soft smile formed at her lips. "I myself am actually part of the crew here too. I'm the new nightly security guard, I just started a week ago.”

Abruptly the man gave an amused but blatantly rude laugh, and Belle felt her cheek twitch in response while the brash portion of nature flared up. Perhaps for once she had been too harsh on her gut feelings.

“That explains the snooping around. I had heard from my father he was getting another security guard, but I didn't realize he would be so quick about it. It's not like Avonlea even needs one. The place is already overloaded enough with money spent in security at this point-regardless of that, my father tends to get a bit overprotective when it comes to well, _anything_.” Once more the man seemed amused with how he spoke, but Belle could only find herself repeating one word in her head over and over again.

 _'Wait-Father?'_ Belle for the life of her had never remembered having heard Marco mention he had a son or a kid. Somehow Belle's journey to Avonlea in search of answers was just leaving her with more questions that were piling up by the second. 'Maybe he knows some things about Avonlea that might be useful to me-he's probably heard a lot from his father then, and that means he might even know about that bizarre animatronic!'

“By the way-what exactly are you doing back here Ms. Security Guard? If you work the nightshift you're here awfully pretty early to start checking in on things.” The man asked her suddenly, pulling her from within the unconstructed puzzle going on within her skull. Belle crossed her arms over themselves as she looked at the man who apparently was Mr. Getto’s son with a concentrated look, trying to figure out just how she should approach all of this. Belle had a good feeling this guy would be able to read her better than what most other people could.

"I find what Avonlea does and 'this'-" Belle motioned with her hand at the very machines standing near them. "All very interesting, and I hadn’t really got to take a good look at the animatronics back here on my own. In the day time mind you.” Her sharp wit quickly gave her some questions to prod the sometimes-mechanic with before he could inquire more of his own. “I’m curious about one thing you might be able to answer. I used to come here as a kid about fourteen years ago, but I don’t remember seeing animatronics like these ones or anything like them before. Yet, hasn't Avonlea had other animatronics at one point?”

The man seemed genuinely interested in what she had to say now with how his smirk fell ever so slightly. “You're right, there was. A long time ago when Avonlea first opened their doors they did have some initial animatronics. There were several installed-not near as fancy as these ones, and they were around for say about... Four years or so before they got removed. It turns out they weren’t very good quality and they kept breaking down far often to be helping make any profit, or so my dad says. After that they did live shows with actors from time to time till my dad wanted a more permanent solution and got animatronics again.”

Ah. So Avonlea did have other animatronics at one point, but they were 'removed'. Was it possible that they kept any of them and just didn't know they were still active and wandering about on their own? Belle found her curiosity surge forth and overtake her tongue. “Did any of the old models stay here at Avonlea then?”

“No.” He shook his head at her. “Every single one of them got scrapped for their parts to make up a bit of cash that the place needed at the time. Despite being piles of junk there was quite expensive material in those ones thanks to the time period they were made in. I've seen photos of them and I can see why it was better they got thrown out. Imagine seeing things even creepier looking than prince 'charming' over here.” He tapped said animatronic's head with the back of his knuckles which resulted in an hollow echo that resounded within the metal.

So the old models were 'really' all gone. They were all scrapped and torn physically apart and thus couldn't possibly be lurking around, _except._.. For the one that did.

“That’s too bad that they were all lost.” Belle said in honesty, feeling actually a bit melancholy at the thought of the poor machines that had once stood on a stage just like this. Did that mean the animatronic she had seen was all alone? When the old ones were scrapped did it loose friends-ones that could have been just like it? But... Why was it still around if all of them were ‘gone-destroyed-scrapped’? Belle felt herself get a bit distant as she pondered and quickly pulled herself away from the dark thoughts. “I would have loved to have seen them, especially in performance. I'll admit I’m quite intrigued by the whole subject of animatronics and robotics in general.”

“It’s really not all that interesting, not these ones anyways. However, I can tell you all you want to know about the subject over a drink on the other hand.” The man gave a bright white smile, and Belle stopped herself from rolling her eyes at the turn of events in their conversation. “I just realized I haven't introduced myself. I’m August Booth-and I'd offer you a handshake but as you can see I'm a bit dirty and preoccupied at the moment." Both of his hands were quite full and some oil was smudged about on his skin, not that it truly would have bothered her from the years spent tending plants with dirt and mud.

“We can bypass that part of the introductions. I'm Belle French-and I’m sorry, but I’ll have to say no to that offer of yours. I’ve got work tonight anyways. I'll be protecting all of ‘this’ from the bad guys who are just waiting to break in as you already know.”

"If not tonight than how about we share that drink this weekend. I know for a fact the night guard doesn't sit about in the office here on Saturday or Sunday nights." The August Booth fellow was oozing confidence at this point, while Belle only had the urge to inch away from him and more to the safety of darkness despite the fact that machine could possibly be there. At this point she feels more trusting of the animatronic who had terrified her than the flesh and blood man before her. 

It seems though that fortune had finally found favor in Ms. French as aide came to her up the stage stairs. Just as Belle was just about to tell Mr. Booth that she was not interested in anything of that sort right now the big red curtains began to shift till they opened and there appeared Mr. Getto himself.

“Ah, August, are you done with the check ups back here?” Marco didn’t seem to immediately notice that his ‘son’ was not entirely alone back here till his eyes caught sight of the security guard herself. “Ms. French? I thought I heard your voice back here, but I didn't know if maybe I was hearing things.”

Belle's smile lifted once again at the sight of her employer and she strode over to him, feeling more comfortable with him nearby. "I had to stop by today to talk to you about something, but it seems I got distracted talking with August here about the animatronics. Sorry for all my inquiring, I hope I did interrupt your job for too long." Belle spoke the last part to August, turning her head to look back at him.

August now seemed hardly fazed by her refusal of his offering as he appeared to be taking the hint unlike most people who had hit on her before. In fact, he seemed amused at his own failure with how he shrugged his shoulders once more and returned to his aloof smirk. “No it's fine, I was just finishing up. All of your dancing puppets are fine by the way.” He spoke now in direction to his father. “I had to replace several screws for the Queen’s base in the track but that was it. Overall the system is good too, but if you think there's a lag in the queen's responses I say call the tech guy to check it out further.”

“Good, good-thank you my boy.” Marco smile grew wider, looking plenty content and proud as he glanced back towards Belle. “He’s so very handy with technology and machines-I don’t know what I’d have done with out his advice or him to check up on me. The whole place would probably have fallen to pieces.” Marco was practically beaming, and it seemed his billowing fatherly pride was finally the act that caused cocky Mr. August Booth to actually look flustered. “By the way, Ms. French have you met my boy August before?”

“No, we just met and introduced ourselves though.” She smirked at August with her own knowing smile this go around. “It was a pleasure to meet you Mr. Booth.”

“Same- _Ms. Night Guard_. It seems I’ve got to get going myself now. I’ll see you later pops.” August clapped a hand on his fathers shoulder before turning with his tool box and slipping out through the curtain upon the 'clap' of his boots. Both father and son said a few more words between one another beyond the slip of curtain, but Belle was too deep into her thoughts to quite catch everything.

Though she was still confused as ever she was at least starting to gain some information in comparison to what she had just known a few minutes ago. There had been older animatronics at one point, they had been scrapped and destroyed, but one still lingered like a forgotten specter as no one seemed to know that it did. Why did it survive the destruction in comparison to the others of it's time-and was that why it hid itself from humans altogether?

Once more Belle was awoken from her thoughts when her employers voice had started addressing her. “I'm sorry I've kept you waiting so long, I haven't seen my son in two weeks and was catching up with him a moment. Now, Ms. French what were you needing to talk to me about?”

“I just had a few questions to ask you if you have the spare time, but it seems even on a quieter day you're still so very busy.” Belle mentioned as Marco politely held the curtain open for her, and they both stepped back onto the front stage before making their way down the steps.

“Ah, I do have plenty to keep me busy most of the time, wether I want to be or not. I just finished up an important delivery call, but let’s head back to my office so we can talk in private.” He steered her past the arcade and play area where the boys Belle had previously seen were still romping around in the ball pit with unwavering zeal.

It was then that the security guard realized that going back to Mr. Getto's office meant going through the long portion of the back hall. When they walked through the double doors, past where most of the employees could see them, a sudden strain of panic began to set in. Belle recalled being chased down this very hall just two nights ago, and it seemed the fear lost in that moment came suddenly back with the way her heart beat struck faster. Eventually the patter of her footsteps died down as she stopped a few paces behind her boss-for she felt the bubbling fear rise up again, threatening to have her turn tail and run.

“It's past lunch time isn't it? It seems I forgot to stop and take a bite to eat-oh! If you're hungry be sure to get a slice of pizza from the kitchen for the road later if you want Ms. French, there's plenty enough... Ms. French, are you alright?”

Belle noticed, while abruptly lifting her gaze from the shiny surface of the tiled floor, that Marco was looking worriedly at her now. In her fleeting absence of   self awareness the young woman realized she must have looked absolutely terrified.

“You look a little pale…"

Belle put up a hand to wave off his worry and put on a reassuring smile for him as well as herself. “No-no, it’s alright! I’m fine, just got sidetracked in my thoughts there.”

“If what you’re worried about is asking for sick days don’t be-I’m sure Avonlea will be fine a night or two without you here to guard it. People come first before anything, that includes the hardworking night crew.”

They returned to walking back to his office side by side after that, and Belle made sure to keep up with Mr. Getto’s pace. Her clear blue eyes flickered about the familiar halls she was growing to memorize but for now was trying to see or catch a glimmer of the monstrous animatronic who might be about. There hadn't been a single sight of the mechanical man though by the time the two of them entered her employer's office and the door closed shut after them. Marco sat down in his chair after offering her one of her own which Belle gladly took to relieve her weary feet.

Mr. Getto was the one to break the small span of silence that had formed between them. “Before you ask anything, and before I possibly forget, I've been wanting to tell you about your paycheck. I made sure with the bank Saturday morning that your first pay went through and they said everything was transferred properly. So your paycheck will typically be in your account early mornings on Saturday, besides that you’re all set.”

“Thank you for checking on that, but I’m honestly not here about the paycheck or anything like that exactly... What I need to tell you might sound strange but…” Belle found her words cutting themselves off as Marco looked at her curiously.

‘Okay, how about this? Mr. Getto, there’s a terrifying animatronic stalking the halls at night when no one is here at Avonlea-it tried to scare me away, and I got hurt as a result but it took care of me afterwards. Oh yeah-and it seems to have some sort of actual consciousness.’ It was a simple and explanatory sentence if what she wanted to say was not quite worded like that, but no matter how hard she tried her lips wouldn’t move nor her throat make a sound. Instead she sat in that offered chair looking lost as one could be with how silent she remained. 'He has a right to know about this, doesn’t he? It's his building after all and I'd sure as hell like to know if there was some intelligent machine wandering about after hours! So I’d be doing the right thing by telling him... _Right?'_

Out of all the possible things she could have been thinking about it right then and there her mind turned to the image of those odd yellow glowing eyes and the sadness that peered back at her from the window two nights ago. A look so human from such an inhuman being should have been impossible, and Belle should push all silly notions aside that it was even 'real'... Yet she couldn't.

Deep down the human woman truly believed that what she saw was far more real than just the wires, metal, and molded silicone that looked back at her.

Would she really be damning this thing to deactivation by telling Mr. Getto of it's existence? It was just a machine-it had to be! As a machine without soul or emotions it shouldn't have the right to exist if a person didn’t want it too… It wasn’t like it actually felt anything in that chest made of forged steel…

However, she couldn't ignore the fact it had taken care of her when she had gotten hurt-nor the fact that it had apologized with real sincerity and let her go after it accidentally held her hand too tight.

 _‘I’m sorry-I’m sorry.’_ The oddly accented voice drifted through her head again-sounding hauntingly familiar though she knows it is not-it couldn't be.

'It's just a machine-it's just a machine.' The beauty kept trying to say this to herself now as well as the last two days, and through out it all her heart found only compassion for the odd metal creation.

“Ms. French? Are you sure you’re okay?” Mr. Getto's concerned voice warned her once again. Suddenly Belle felt her cheeks warm upon the realization that a tear had escaped her tight strong hold and curled down her cheek without her notice.

“Yes-well, yes and no. I’m sorry to be crying in front of you, life has been a bit stressful at the moment…” Quickly she brushed away the droplet before another could pursue it.

Marco seemed a bit grave upon this information as he nervously tented his hands together atop his desk. “Is… Is your father not doing well again?”

Belle shook her head. "He’s good for the time being. He’s eating his greens and exercising now alongside his stronger medication. What I need to… What I needed to talk to you about is that I’m enjoying the job here quite a lot, and I plan to stick around but if you could answer some silly questions for me.” He nodded for her to continue, and Belle found some returning bravery pound back into her heart. “The night watch-It seems like everyone who has worked this position before me only sticks around for a week, possibly a little more or less, but why is that really? ”

Mr. Getto settled back into his chair a moment, looking at her with a contemplating look that had her nearly awaiting his reply on the edge of her seat.

“A lot of people find this place unsettling at night. It’s a large building and with it being so new and as you know it creaks and groans quite often, but I never thought it that scary myself. So as to why everyone keeps leaving, I honestly do not know. Though I also know the night watch can be a boring job, and not many people might find the pay all that great for spending six hours a night watching time tick by.” He gave a small tired laugh at that but Belle caught how his eyes glazed over with a sheen of sadness, as if haunted by something she could not see nor comprehend. “I do admit that there are stories about Avonlea from a good while back that have become superstitious folklore around here. Some people think this place is haunted, but that’s all hogwash. Don't let anyone tell you someone has died at Avonlea or any such nonsense, no one ever has nor do I plan on letting it ever happen.”

"So nothing at all strange has ever happened here at Avonlea? Not even in the building's earlier days?"

He seemed to sigh at her inquiry before he locked his hands together and leant forward upon his seat. “There was an incident just once in all 30 years Avonlea's been open. I do not like to recollect it-it was a terrible accident that I should have properly prevented but failed to do so out of my own naivety. A... Kid, got hurt messing around with equipment in a back room of the older building-and though he shouldn’t have been in there to begin with it was not a thing any child should endure... That’s the worst that’s ever happened here.”

“People can't always predict everything that will happen, so you can't blame yourself for that...” Belle tilted her head slightly out of the curiosity clawing it's way back up, though she could see the topic was nothing Mr. Getto wished to talk about so she said no more. "As for the other guards, I just say shame on them. This place isn’t, that frightening at night. I’m not going to let myself be scared away by some spooky noises or the like.”

"So you do plan on sticking around then?"

"Of course-it wouldn't be fair of me if I didn't, you hired me after all to take care of Avonlea and that's just what I'm going to do."

Somehow Belle hoped that the machine could hear her insane declaration all the way from Marco's office-a declaration which gave her more strength than she had expected it to.

“I’m absolutely glad to hear that, though I've always known you were a brave girl.” There was that gleam again in her employer's eyes, while his age was showing in the lines of his face with those few words.

Belle didn't understand why she felt a strange nagging in the back of her head just then, as if there was something she was forgetting that was surfacing and possibly bringing itself to light. However, it didn't breach that layer of darkness where it laid buried deep down-so she lost once again this some important recollection that she could not recall.

'Perhaps it's nothing but something created out of stress... Yeah, it has to be.'

The memory was entirely lost from her thoughts as Mr. Getto spoke. “I do feel Avonlea is safe with you watching out for her though. I’m quite confident in your skills.”

“Thank you-I will say I am getting worn out fighting off all the guys trying to break in.” Belle teased, earning a smile, and felt a sudden wave of calm wash over her that she hadn’t felt in about a week. "Besides that question I was also needing to ask… Is it alright if I bring in my own personal work from my other job while I’m here?” She’d always meant to ask him but had planned to do so after her first week. Better late than never on getting an answer, and it seemed to be a good cover from what her original goals of today had been.

‘Am I really not going to tell him about that machine? I might be making a huge mistake.’ Belle thought one last time but her mind had already been made up.

“Of course you can bring in other work to do. I don’t expect you to watch the cams every second of the job, that really would be boring.”

“Alright, that answers that, but, oh, I better be getting home so I can get some extra rest before my shift tonight.” Belle stated when she saw the time from the small digital clock on his desk flicker by another minute. “Thanks again for letting me bother you. Enjoy the rest of your day Mr. Getto.”

Her boss gave his goodbyes, wishing her father well, and Belle quietly left him to his work-for sure enough his phone was soon ringing to life as she closed the door behind her. 

Belle found her self once again back in that long hallway alone as her nights usually were-well, as her nights were supposed to be. Even though she knew she could possibly now face the scaled green monstrous machine without any aid she didn't feel the flicker of fear weigh her down. There was no trembling to her steps this time as she moved to return to her car, no, she strolled back down the hall with the same air of confidence she had just a week ago.

Though the machine still remained, remained a secret known only to her as well as an obstacle to face, Belle knew she wasn't going to back down from this.

So what if the machine wanted her gone? The young woman gave a snort and pushed through all thoughts of fleeing. She wasn’t going to be the damsel running and shrieking her head off in the dark anymore, especially not in a place she was meant to be at. She was Avonlea’s new night guard whether the animatronic liked it or not!

It was more than just her pride and her need to withstand such a frightening situation as to why she was coming back with uniform and bow tie on. As always the beauty felt an unexplainable pull to Avonlea. A pull that was just the same as when she was a child though the enchanting world around her seemed a fair bit smaller now-and more menacing. 

This place drew her in naturally and the machine was honestly no different. There was so much she didn’t understand about it, such as why it lived as it did, why it was not scrapped and torn to bits for parts, or why it so desperately wanted her out of Avonlea. Through out her life Belle had longed for adventure and to take a journey that would let her see and explore so many unknowns, and now a mystery unlike anything she’d ever seen was right before her very eyes.

While she was the only one who could unravel it.

'You're going to have your chance at figuring out those questions tonight Belle... Seeing as you've got another five nights this week to go.'

“I'll see you in a few hours, lets hope this week goes by better.” Belle mischievously smiled and whispered to her office as she passed by.

As suddenly as she walked by she came staggering back to a stop right outside the closed door.

'My jacket! At least I can get that without facing the machine.' Belle calmly opened the door to the security room, flicked on the light, but was left to stand there at the door frame with a frown pressing against her cheeks. The swivel chair was completely empty, her jacket was no longer hanging from it's back where she knew she had last left it.

“Strange… I swore I forgot it here.”

—————

Nothing happens.

Not Saturday-not Sunday and not during all of the hours the sun shines from the windows on Monday.

He is utterly confused- _baffled_ _even_ by this turn of events.

The machine had been so sure that he would finally be discovered that morning after he had come face to face with the woman acting as security guard-for it was the first time in over twenty years he’d been actually seen by a human being. All the other guards he had scared off were always from a distance or with mere ghostly glimpses of his horrid form to antagonize, but she was the first he found… That he _wanted_ to be seen by. The scaled machine wanted to be noticed, to be looked upon, to be recognized by this small flesh and blood creature though her gaze had also melted straight through him in a 'painful' manner.

It wasn’t worth it as he found out in the end. Seeing her face all scrunched up in fear, horror, and what had to be disgust was unappealing to him despite his past revels in such looks upon the human's faces. The terror she had felt and shown towards him was more than he thought he could bear, though he knew it was well earned and well deserved. Never again did he expect to see that beauty-nor did he even expect a chance to possibly explain himself and plead his apologizes for frightening her so.

No. The new security guard wouldn't come back, they never did after all.

Yet, against all his calculations and possibilities she **had** come back to Avonlea today.

While fretting all weekend over his supposed end he had remained activated the entire time out of worry of being found while 'unaware' of his surroundings. He had practically jumped in place and screeched out loud when he had caught sound of the woman once more in Avonlea's halls. The machine hadn't believed his auditory sensors were hearing things correctly when through the air drifted that gentle and oddly accented voice, Australian some portion of his computed memory told him, as he sat in the darkness of his hide away. Though excitement filled him of the prospect of her coming back fear had replaced the sensation in his programming quickly. The animatronic was so sure the security guard was there to tell Marco of his 'existence' that he was prepared to rip out all of his own wires and end it himself before they could locate his metal husk.

As he waited, listening in as they walked down the hall-one set of steps a familiar 'pattering' of heels, he heard nothing of the sort of her revealing him before he could barely hear anymore of their discussion.

Then he simply waited, and waited, for hours upon end in his small confined space for something to finally occur and yet... Nothing happened.

A sigh of relief had fled his breathless lips when closing was just an hour away and he could hear the daily crew getting ready to pack it up for the night. All the while during this stressful day the small jacket belonging to the woman named ‘Belle’ sat in his arms and tight in his hold as if a blanket to comfort him. He let his weary mind marvel over the material and over the possible memories that might be embedded into the fabric and very seams from the original owner.

At long last ten o' clock finally chimed from the faint clock down the hall, alerting him that he could soon leave the confines of his sanctuary.

A little while after the hour, with night completely overtaking the light of the building and leaving it to darkness, he had felt it safe to emerge from his tomb. As normal at this hour he was all alone like he had been for years on end, but he merely stood out in the hallway motionless for a good while, feeling utterly lost and perplexed by this change of events. His nervous metal fingers slid against one another of their own accord, kneading at nothing while his mind had traveled to the thought of the night guard who had changed everything he had been expecting. 

She hadn't spoken of him. The woman he had frightened, chased with the intention of having her fleeing, and had accidentally caused harm to had not given him away even though she deserved the right to and he deserved the punishment. Nothing made sense about it-why? Why had she kept the knowledge of him to herself?

Just a few minutes before midnight's twelve count chime the machine was still pondering over why nothing had turned out like his calculations or data had processed it. His boot clad feet gently bumped into the edge of the stage top he sat upon, each knock created a hollow sound that filled the empty air of the entertainment area. His glowing yellow eyes breeched the thick darkness for a few feet before him and their light disappeared for mere seconds upon his owlish blinks. None of his current contemplating could give him any answers and so the impish machine was left to do the only thing he knew to do in this situation.

He just sat and waited till something-anything finally happened.

It was just a minute after midnight had settled and his internal clock had alerted him of the change that something did indeed happen. Beyond the wall, back through the winding hall, past the security office and party rooms came a soft clicking sound. Instantly the animatronic's head full of wiry brown hair jerked up with a ‘clack’ when he caught trace a faint creaking sound-a sound he instantly placed as a door opening.

‘That’s the back door! Someone is coming into Avonlea at this time of night! But-it couldn't-’ His thoughts were all flying through the circuits in his head as he raised his large hands in a fluter of momentary panic. With a burst of energy the machine jumped from the stage and fell upon his heels silently to the floor. Upon a whirl he jerked back to his full height and in preparation of flight while listening to the sounds drifting through the still air.

Yes-the back door was being opened and someone was coming inside! Already he could hear the distinct 'patter' of feet against the recently cleaned tiles.

It shouldn't be who he thought it was, against everything it couldn't possibly be-but there was only one person who came here as of late at twelve o' clock monday nights.

“She came back…” He whispered and against all reasoning a smile pushed up against the silicone of his faux face.

 

 


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Belle heads back to Avonlea determined to keep her part time job and figure out all the mysteries involving the green mechanical monster, but it seems it’s not keen on her idea at all-till she offers it a deal.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 07/28/15- Chapter Five first-revision completed.

"You can do this Belle, everything's going to be alright... At least it can't gain the upper hand by surprise this time around."

All her attempts at reassuring herself weren't quite working as well as they had in the day light hours. It seemed as the sun waned and lost its place up in the sky so was her momentous courage loosing its hold in her heart. Not that Belle was backing out-no way, she was going through with this just as she said she would, it just meant it was taking a lot more persuasion on her own part to get her out of her apartment door.

It works though, and somehow Belle ends up before Avonlea like her job demanded.

She knows that she had sworn Saturday morning, as she was practically running to the back door in her attempt to escape, that she’d never do this night shift ever again. Fate was always a fickle thing so it seemed, and the bookish beauty hadn't been expecting to be wanting to return near as much as how she didn't. Everyone liked to joke that her curiosity is what would get her in the end, and now she was really starting to understand why that might actually be.

With a soft sight Ms. French exhaled and took a deep breath while mentally preparing herself for the task at hand.

It was just a few minutes before midnight right now and already the security guard was standing outside of Avonlea in the faint summer breeze, dressed in full uniform, and awaiting to unlock the back door to begin another grueling long six hours-that she would hopefully survive. Part of her was regretting her bold exclamation made earlier that day about ‘not being afraid’. While part of her hoped the machine had heard her words and might leave her be because of them, part of her desperately hoped that the mechanical man hadn’t heard her at all in case she had antagonized it. Though odd enough, Belle didn't think the latter was the case, as her instinct was telling her it was most unlikely she had angrily spurred it on.

Nonetheless, there was no backing out of this now since she was here with keys slightly quivering in hand. After all, she’d given her word to Marco that she was sticking around and there were too many unanswered questions for her to simply turn tail and run home.

"Go easy on me tonight, okay..." Belle knew the building couldn't acknowledge her plea, but it never hurt to ask in such a bizarre scenario such as this.

The back door key twisted easily in the knob, which caused the door to creak open under her grasp, leading into the dark hallway that seemed to threaten her that they would swallow her alive if so desired. Belle steeled her nerves and briskly stepped inside before locking the door behind her and making sure the alarm was set… She may just need it.

‘No, that thing’s not going to chase me around again, I can feel it. I know I have no proof but after the way he was sorry for accidentally hurting me... Perhaps for some reason he's just scared too, he said he doesn't like people being here at night after all.’ The gentle thought soothed her anxiousness as she began her walk back to her office. Every step she took seemed to crash around her in a ringing clamor though it was only her small 'pattering' from her heeled boots. With the loss of proper sight her hearing was picking up every tick and creak from the pipes, walls, and foundation, but she heard no scurry of feet across the tile-nor even a far off reverberation of that horrible wail. When she reached her office she found it was closed as it always was, and yet she feared if she opened the door too fast she’d find herself face to face with the animatronic man.

Carefully, after turning the knob, a pale colored hand snuck through the semi opened door and flicked the switch on, filling the room with a yellow tone of light that tore away the darkness. Much to Belle's utter relief there was no one or _no thing_  in the room when she peaked around the frame's corner. Some of the worry built up fell away with her sanctuary being in tact, and so she walked in while allowing the door to remain wide open so she could hear anything possibly shambling down the hall. As she settled into her space Belle opened her bag that she had carried in, set out her book she hadn’t read a single chapter of since last Thursday-along with some papers from her other job, before sitting down in her swivel chair.

As she did so the ever present clock 'ticked' and 'tocked' down at her in its ever punctual manner, sharing with her that it was twelve o’ three in the morning.

Already, with only three minutes into her shift, Belle could feel it was going to be a long, long night.

Suddenly her mind recalled an important fact which caused the night guard to swirl around in her chair to face the desk. Quickly Belle grabbed the security guard's tablet from its rest and flicked it on, scrolling quickly through all the available cams in case she could spot the machine wandering about. Her finger twitched over an image and then stopped altogether.

She also recalled that looking at the cameras was pretty pointless with the events of two days ago coming back into mind.

“Yeah right, like this thing will do any good. It's so weird though... Why does the animatronic never shows up on the footage? Then again-nor did I when I was chased by it through the building... Perhaps the system has a bug and it doesn't work at night, which of _course_ is such a  perfect problem for someone like me to have.” She murmured sarcastically to herself while tucking a runaway strand of auburn hair back behind her ear.

Did it never show up on the footage this entire time the last six months with the other security guards? How come no one else reported such a thing then? With so many other things flittering through her mind she had never really focused or considered that fact till now. She might be able to figure out this added mystery if the animatronic in question wouldn't feel the need to chase her about the entire building in her search to find answers.

'Asking it might be my best bet at understanding all of this, but that's ridiculous. I shouldn't go near it, should I?' Belle wiggled in her seat, her indecision was making her more antsy than ever. 'Then again what am I do back here if I don't plan on facing it? Or at least proving that the machine is real in the first place...'

With no real other plan formulated Belle set back the tablet in its rest and did what she felt was best.

Upon another swivel in her seat the young woman turned to face the empty office door and simply wait. Despite being nervous, with adrenaline pumping into her heart, the drowsiness she’d been feeling all day was already starting to hit her as she lazily sat back and stared at the open frame. Sleep this weekend had been few and far between with work in Boston, looking after her dad, and the general horror that had surged up into her dreams when she attempted to get some shut eye. There had also been no napping after visiting Marco earlier in the day, just her sitting about her apartment minding the time just like she was now.

Sitting... Waiting... The clock's ticking started forming a soothing rhythm of it's own that was slowly lulling the security guard's eye lids to lower.

Suddenly a loud yawn escaped her rosy lips before she could stop it, and Belle fought the urge to curl up in the seat and keep herself cozy. With a start she sat upright and slapped her hands to her cheeks, willing the sleep at the corner of her eyes away as much as she could. With the summer heat making the room a comfortable temperature Belle was forced to turn on the ancient looking fan sitting upon her desk and allow the cold air flowing from it's blades to wash over her skin. All it seemed to do though was make her skin prickle for a while and not negate her drowsy state.

‘Stay vigilant Belle. You can't slack off, not even a second!’ She thought over and over to herself, telling her body to be as strong as her will. It was effective for quite a while, but after ten minutes of looking dully ahead to the empty door she was already bored out of her mind. Still, if she looked away too long the machine could appear to frighten her or be running down the hall and at her door in seconds with it's inhuman speed. There was no way she was going to get startled or chased like last time, and Belle gently touched her bandage to remind herself why.

After another thirty minutes of the same routine Belle was loosing that fading will as her head dropped to her shoulder. However, the poor young woman had instantly jerked herself back awake in a near panic thinking she had let her guard down too long.

"I’ve got to get me some caffeine or I’ll never make it at this rate." She mumbled as she bit her lip in thought of going and getting herself a coffee, trying to calculate the pros and cons of making a dash to the break room. So far with her current rate of near dozing off she decided she'd take her chance and get something to give her a boost-rather than end up passed out in her seat.

Belle stood up from her chair and grabbed her flashlight from its usual location in one of the desk's drawers, but not before testing it to see if it was still working after it had been dropped so harshly last time. Odd. How did her flashlight get back here in the first place? Did the machine bring it with them when he left her in her office when she was unconscious?  The answer to that was just as unsure as everything else, so Belle just tucked it away with all the others.

With a working beam of light glowing ahead she slowly stepped into the hall and glanced about. There was nothing down either end of the hallway from what she could see in her limited range of sight, nor did her blue eyes catch the glow of the thing's abnormal yellow ones floating in the darkness.

An idea formed in the beauty's mind, and as silly as it might have been it was once again what she felt was necessary to do. So, standing in place with a firm grip on her flashlight, Belle cleared her throat and made a rather loud announcement.

“I don't know where you are, or if you’re even listening Mr. Animatronic, but as you probably already know I’m here!” Belle boldly spoke as she stuck her free hand on her hip in a defiant manner. “I don’t feel like playing any of your games if you got any planned-so if you know what's good for you, you won’t be chasing me anytime soon. Okay?” A few moments pasted with that exclamation ringing in the air but there was no response audibly of any kind-except the building creaking a bit. Belle shook her head, though it was aimed at herself and this somehow awkward situation she has been thrusted into in which she must yell at a humanoid scaly machine in the dead of night.

“I'm not here to bother you or hurt you if you're scared about that. I’m just going to get some coffee in the break room, so… Continue on with whatever you’re doing peacefully please.” 

It felt absolutely absurd how she was suddenly growing worried over this machine that could probably tear her apart easily if it so wished. Why did it have to listen to the demands of a five foot four woman with no weapons or means of self defense against such a being? Why was she even caring if the thing was petrified of her being here or not? Despite all of this weighing down on her heart, Belle turned on her foot and began her stroll to the break room.

The entire time she didn't come across any sign of the odd humanoid contraption in her path.

Feeling more relaxed after the tension had passed Belle entered the break room and decided she'd get some coffee from the vending machine as she was not wanting to wait for the coffee maker despite knowing she would get a far better tasting cup. However, she needed something to keep the coffee in and so she searched for some means of cup or container. While rifling through a nearby cabinet, Belle found a simple but kind of pretty mug with a blue branch like pattern on the side and used it to carry her seventy five cent beverage back to her office.

For a moment she stood at the door and waited when she returned, craning her head to catch any possible sign of the robot lurking out in the dark. Once again there was nothing.

'I wonder if after our encounter it was somehow found? Maybe that's why I haven't seen or heard it nearby... Then again wouldn't there had been an uproar about it from the staff and crew? Or would Marco keep quiet about finding it and just scrap it-oh no! That would be horrible... I know it's a machine, but it deserves a chance to be heard out.' Belle thought all of this rather worriedly, though she was wondering why this sudden unwarranted compassion of hers was starting to over flow for the machine-an animatronic she didn't even know the name of. ‘Surely it’s still here, hiding away, after all I didn't tell Marco about it and there's no way I gave him any clues about it being around... Perhaps, it does have a conscious and it's just 'feeling' bad about what it’s done.’

Belle sipped quietly on her coffee when it had cooled to a favorable temperature, finding the drink had at least a decent flavor with a fair amount of sugar added. Thoughts were bubbling and brewing in her head as she resumed her tactic of sitting and staring at the door, though all of it grew old once more when minutes passed and still nothing occurred. Anything would be better than this horrible game of waiting in anticipation while the machine possibly drew it's chance to strike!

Eventually her plan of waiting grew too tedious for the young woman, who sighed loudly and reached for her bag. Instead of silently awaiting her possible sole 'companion' to appear, if it even did, Belle grabbed her unfinished book from last week and flipped through till she found the last page she had read.

Page after page she tucked into while the clock ticked away in wait with her. Here and there she sipped on her coffee in between sections of text till her borrowed dainty mug was drained dry. The hot beverage had restored some of her lost energy but even that amount of caffeine could only take her so far.

Belle wasn’t sure how much time had passed when her head suddenly could no longer stay supported on one hand comfortably, but she was at least three fourths of the way through her novel. As the small lines of words began to blur Belle faintly fought with her mind to respond, but even that strong will from before was caving with the late night hours soft gentle pull. It didn't help that the creaking and groaning of Avonlea was somehow soothing her as well, whispering to her in it's shifting that it would be fine for her to give into sleep.

It wasn’t much longer than another chapter before the security guard was tilting forward, with eyes hardly open and a soft smile on her fair lips, and resting her face on her book for ‘just a moment of shut eye’. She promised after a few seconds she'd bounce right back up and be ready to go another hour of this increasingly odd night.

'Just a few seconds... Won't hurt...'

In a few minutes the silence was disturbed by soft little snores, barely audible unless up close, that drifted from the security office where the vigilant woman slept at her desk. No human would be able to hear a sound so faint from the distance of a hallway corner such as Avonlea's.

Yet, the inhuman figure stalking slowly down the hallway with faint ‘clacking’ steps stopped in place, catching the quiet sound that was like a roar amongst the peace.

Then, it turned its footsteps around and began making its way to the security office door.

—————

'Ugh... My neck is killing me...'

Belle groggily groaned to herself within her head as she turned and moved against whatever hard surface her face was lying on. There was no way she could find any comfort anymore from the cool wood against her cheek but she was so tired she almost didn't care. There was also the fact that she was very warm and yet pleasantly so by the fan gently blowing on her, which was a nice cozy balance. Even though she was half asleep Belle could feel some type of fabric was spread across her back as well as her shoulders, which was odd since she hadn't come into work with a jacket of any sort.

However, a content sigh was all that escaped her as she pillowed her arm under her head to nestle back into sweet sleep.

'I'm so tired a little bit more shouldn't hurt... It's late at night... I'm not at home but this will do...'

Something about this was wrong though. Belle combated her drowsiness enough to allow herself to start whirling and putting the confusing pieces together.

'Wait… That's right. I'm at work-I work the night shift tonight. Did I… I fell asleep! Oh no, I fell asleep!’ Her mind began rocketing back into full ignition upon that recognition, like a struck match against gasoline. Belle quickly opened her bleary eyes as well as she could to get a sense of what was going on around her.

All that attempting at keeping up her guard had fallen apart with her falling deep into sleep, but when had it happen? One moment she had been awake reading her book while glancing every so often at the door, and then the next-

Abruptly, Belle cocked her head to look at the doorway and her blurry blue eyes flew open to stare wide eyed at the frightening image before her.

There in the darkness of her doorway was a familiar face staring back down at her. Through the slight edge of shadows Belle could see the crooked nose, large wide alien eyes, and wiry brown hair of the mechanical man whose hinged gaping maw was open, almost as if bearing it's awful mossy looking teeth at her.

“Ah! Y-YOU!” Belle shouted unintentionally at the animatronic from the surging fear shooting through her veins. With a quick movement she was sitting upright in her chair but in doing so had swiped her arm across the desk to bring it back to her body.

“Careful dearie!” The odd crackly voice of the animatronic jumped in volume as if in alarm but it was too late. Her arm had knocked right into her empty and borrowed coffee mug that had been sitting near the edge of the desk and thus sent it crashing to the floor. There was a sharp clatter for a split second, which startled Belle once again, but it had pulled her immediate attention from the machine's shadowed form.

Belle swiveled in her chair to look at the damage she had done and saw for herself the broken mug lying on its side with a good portion chipped next to it.

“Oh no…” The beauty said out loud before glancing back up to the animatronic, who was staring back at her with a peculiar expression upon its distorted face. In fact, it looked almost as surprised and startled as she was.“That’s not my mug-I didn’t mean to break it.” Belle fumbled with her words, having somehow forgotten all of the built up terror towards the machine before her in a single moment over the simple mug.

Bending down out of the chair she picked up the broken piece of ceramic and the sliver of the rim, holding both pieces in opposite hands-almost willing them back together to undo what had been done.

“It’s…” She looked back up to the animatronic one more time with a nervous smile on her face, hoping she seemed more confident than how she felt. “It’s barely chipped. It’s still usable.”

The machine just stared back at her a good long while before it's large spherical metal eyes clicked down in their sockets to the chipped object in her hands.

“It’s just a mug.” It spoke plainly, as if the entire matter was nothing at all. One green gold hand of its swiveled upwards with a ‘clack’ as if to push the meaning of the thing's words further. "It's easily replace-ace-able..."

“Oh… Right.” She agreed with it, feeling a tad bit foolish now to be so worked up about such a silly thing. Though suddenly all thoughts of the broken mug were brushed aside when she recollected just what she was exactly talking to.

The machine! It had made it to her office when she was deep asleep, and now she was trapped in her very own sanctuary with it hovering at the only exit there was. She should have felt panic rise up but Belle didn't feel an immediate flurry of dread overwhelm her. No, she was staying rather calm as she had grown to be last time they had encountered each other on more 'peaceful' terms.

Only she'd like this to stop happening after whenever she 'woke' up.

Keeping her cool was certainly helped by the animatronic man seeming to be just as nervous as she was. As Belle swiftly stood back up, still holding onto the mug along with it's broken piece, she observed that the machine had flinch back from her to slink further and further away into the darkness of the hall. The shadows took hold of its 'unique' form, concealing most of it from her sight save the glowing eyes that were looking past her, as if to something else.

Belle caught its line of sight and her guard dropped once again as she looked back behind herself. Surprise and delight crossed her fair features at the sight of her missing jacket all crumpled in her swivel chair as if it had never left the room at all. 

Once again Belle turned back to the machine speedily, making sure it had not completely disappeared in her momentary distraction. “Y-You found my jacket?” That was not the first question she had been preparing the entire night to ask the mysterious animatronic if such a possibility were to arise, but she was genuinely feeling confused by its actions and sudden reappearance. However, with the way it was looking at her now Belle could only describe its expression as if she was the frightening figure in this dark lonely building. Those giant eyes floated in their pits right back at her again as its lips rested together in a thin line, tight with an anxiousness that was readable despite the inhuman properties of its face.

“Y-yes." The animatronic spoke gently, sounding different than its crueler more theatrical voice it used the other night. She had begun to notice that it acted rather beastly at some points and then more shy at others, almost as if it couldn't make up its mind on how to behave. "You for-or-got it the other night, and so I held onto it just incase…”

Belle's heart warmed a bit at the genuine concern that she saw shine there in those metal eyes.

Overall she was still so torn on how she was supposed to feel towards the thing. It sure had tried to make her angry and frightened, but the more she spoke with it the more those faint emotions were starting to recede away altogether. 

“I suppose, I should thank you for returning it.” Belle stated, though her soft spoken attitude changed as she set the broken mug down on her desk and gave the machine a firm heated look. "I'll consider this act as a first step in your apologies for what you pulled on me Saturday morning. I still feel you have a lot to make up to me though, like a proper apology for one thing.”

The machine simply blinked at her after her with slight hesitation as her words seemed to register with it. For a moment Belle was possibly expecting it to lash back and snarl in that horrible manner it had stuck to when she had pushed it too far, but the being of wires and metal only hid back further behind the door way. She was prepared to go after it if the animatronic suddenly decided to flee from her, but that didn't happen as she watched one of its scaly hands curl gently around the wood of the door frame.

Those darkened dangerous claws looked rather lethal, but Belle didn't grow alarmed at the sight of them as she had nights ago.

She couldn't, not with how it's hand trembled ever so softly.

“I don’t under-der-stand,” It finally spoke up, nearly sounding pained if such a thing were possible. "Why… It doesn't make any sense... I fright-ight-ened you, I saw it in your eyes, and no one else has ever... Why?" The segmented fingers clutched back, digging the nails slightly into the wood to still its shaking. _"Why did you come back?”_

The animatronic man sounded so confused and lost, just like she was feeling herself. It made sense why it would be baffled by her sudden reappearance here at Avonlea, especially after all that had happened between them. Surely the machine had been expecting her to give it's existence away like it had spoken lastly on that that life changing night several days ago, but instead of doing just that the security guard had returned without action or ill will against this solitary being.

Why did it bother her so much that it thought she would be so cruel as to ensure it's demise? Was that the only response it had ever gotten in it's 'life'-and why?

More so, why did Belle want to protect this thing and face it properly as she was now?

Honestly, Belle wasn't quite sure of her own answer on any of these troubling questions. Though she knew her curiosity was begging to be sated there was much more going on beyond her and the animatronic than just her simple inquisitive nature needing to understand that which she didn't. It wasn't often she instinctively saw someone and felt in her heart a pull towards them that drew her like a moth to a burning flame-especially not something made of metal and wire bent into the form of a man. 

Instead of trying to find the answer for both of them, for right now there was no way she could, she sturdied posture and said the next best thing. “I came back because it's part of my job. I can’t just abandon it you know.”

The nameless figure tilted its head, pulling the leather clad upper body back closer to the door, but still owlishly staring at her with unblinking eyes that surely should have creeped her out. That large metal maw of its opened as if to say something, though she noticed the machine spoke sometimes without even the need of moving its jaw, but nothing came pouring forth from those human looking lips. Belle found her bravery rising in her chest with the machines obvious awkwardness, so she crossed her arms and stood as tall as she could (despite being even smaller than the already short machine with heeled boots).

“Just to let you know your scare tactics have failed. I’m here to stay and I'm certainly not going to go and let some-s-some-" A slight heat filled her cheeks as her mind whirled for anything to call the scaly machine. "Some metal lizard man run me off!”

“What?! Liz-zar-ard man! I'm no such thing, dearie!” It abruptly seemed affronted, and the anxious attitude he had bared dropped in response while its segmented shoulders jerked upwards. Odd enough Belle wanted to nearly giggle in return but fought it off as the animatronic glowered at her with a mighty frown that made it positively look silly. “I’ll have you know I’ve lived here longer than you have surely been alive! It also wouldn’t be hard for me splin-lin-ter your body out on the front sign as a warning to the rest of your kind!”

With a quick movement it had brought itself back into the revealing light of her office, illuminating its glittery scales and catching her eye at the odd... 'Beauty' of them-though she knew it was only trying to intimidate her once again.

“Oh yes, yes-I know. You’ll _kill me_ if I won’t leave.” Belle brushed the threatening words aside as if it meant little at all, like the broken mug did to it. “I find it funny you say that, but it seems to me that if you wanted to kill me you already would have. In fact, you helped me when I got that cut on my head from my silly fall, so now I know for a fact you really don't want to hurt anyone. It's your move." A smirk settled on her rosy lips, and Belle beamed in pride as the machine staggered back a bit from her as if suffering a blow.

It seems, ironically, the hunted had now turned into the hunter, though Belle had no desire to chase it about in the dark while screeching at it as it had at her. That imagery too made her near about forcefully chuckle out loud.

As she waited a response she watches those wild eyes of its shift from her face, as if to look at anything but her, yet she caught them stopping suddenly to stare at her temple. Its sight was locked onto where her bandage was-which was a fresh clean one that would probably be the last one she needed as the wound was healing up quite nicely. Belle blushed a bit more, not quite sure why, and reached her fingers up to brush her hair hanging in the way so the mechanical man could see the the reminder of two nights ago better.

"I'm doing better now if you were worried. I'm pretty sure I won't get an infection, and all that might be left will be a little scar once it's healed."

"That's good... I'm g-glad." Was Belle's eyes deceiving her or did she just see it's mouth twitch in a faint flicker of a smile when it spoke? It made her own lips start to spread across her face, but that short lived moment of her finally starting to see the machine and understand it for what it really was all fell away.

Without warning the animatronic let out a small sharp screech that had the security guard jump on her toes with a small yelp of her own. The contours of it's face had tightened in a flash, and it proceeded to look at her with a nasty sneer while its faux flesh lines curled up right at the sides of its solid nose.

“While it's true I don’t desire to hurt anyone if it’s not nece-ces-ssary, I won't stand for having you here! For years we've been without a night watch and it's best that way! I don't need a human watching ov-I mean, A-Avonlea doesn’t need anyone here at such a godforsaken hour!”

“Well, Marco says otherwise, and if that wasn't the case then I wouldn’t be here in the first place.” Belle gave another confident smirk as the machine seemed to deflate at a lack of a counter. “You can just face the facts. I’m here to stay as the night guard till I find something better for a part time job here in Storybrooke or nearby."

"No! No! You don't be-lon-long here! So go away-leave!" The imp spat back while tossing its empty hand about in a great swipe through the air as if to startle her back into her previous state of fear.

However there was no true terror remaining, all that was starting to build up within the beauty's small frame was frustration, and she grew unable to contain the harsh reply that flew out of her mouth. "No I won't! It seems that out of the two of us you are the one who doesn’t belong here!"

Suddenly the thick silence lingering within the depths of Avonlea came back to haunt the air as if it had never left while Belle's words disappeared.

She actually hadn't realized exactly how harsh what she had said was, but it was too late to take it back by the time she did. A look of hurt flashed across the odd being’s steely features the moment after, and it was impossible for her to miss seeing it. Guilt washed over her immediately, and Belle tucked her lip between her teeth as well as dropped her eyes from the animatronic's face out of shame. 'That was... I shouldn't have said that. I don't even know its story or why its come to live like this... And even though it's a machine that was too cruel to say to anyone-including it.'

An apology almost broke free of her lips when she glanced back up to it, but she stopped it right beforehand. The beauty was conflicted on whether or not the mechanical thing even truly deserved it with how it had cruelly treated her just two nights ago, but Belle was not someone to hold a pointless grudge. 

She noticed it flinched abruptly, its limbs twitching sporadically by it's side as if it was coming undone, and her pattering heart finally broke on the human look of pain it wore.

“Are you-you all right? I’m so sorry, that was not fair or right of me to say.” Belle reached towards it and grabbed its jittery arm, feeling its stiff metal form underneath the leather of its coat press against her hand. As if a natural reaction the machine flinched in response to her touch before glancing up at her with wide eyes that were deeply filled with fear. "Please don't go, I didn't mean that and even if you're frustrating me beyond belief I don't want you to leave. There's so much I need to ask of you, and I... I want to know."

With a sharp click its eyelids were closed together tightly hidden from her sight. In the eerie quiet settled amongst them Belle could actually hear the slight ticking rising from its chest like an imitation of a human heart beat that awed her. It took the animatronic a while to speak for it seemed to be regaining composure, but when it did its voice was a hoarse whisper that crackled with emotion.

“Why… Why did you not tell anyone about me being here?”

“I… I couldn't do it, and I didn't want to...” Belle saw the yellow orbs peak out between their fake eyelids, and her heart swelled at the thought of how oddly pretty the shade of its eyes really were despite their inhuman look. They reminded her of sweet jared honey being held up against daylight or the shimmering sun fading from the sky at dusk. There was warmth in its gaze too, a bared human like quality that defied everything that its colder metal body claimed it must be.

The young woman snapped out of her trance, having been captivated by the steady gaze transpiring between them, and scrambled to find the proper words to ask of it what she wanted. “I didn’t tell anyone about you because I didn't want you to get in trouble, and I knew if I told Marco or anyone here about you that you probably would. I did ask around discreetly, to see if I could figure out anything about you on my own-and... They have really no idea you’re even here still do they? Mr. Getto and all the others I mean.”

It was less of a question and more of a statement, for it could be the only explanation that made any sense. The scaled animatronic seemed to agree from how grim its features were growing.

“Yes.” It still spoke in a hushed tone, its voice was almost human sounding and less of the impish timbre it barked at her with before. “No one knows I still exist or that I even walk these halls... For all they know, even Mr. Getto... I-I was des-des-troyed a long time ago as I should have been." Belle finds her curiosity grow even more so with this knew added knowledge, but the hurt that fills the creases of the machine's age lines stills all her desires for pestering about it.

Without much warning, as if all the soft spoken things between them had been forgotten, the imp snapped back into place. Its face grew wild and slightly maniacal again like a switched in its head had been flipped. "I don’t understand why you didn’t give the monster away! After all I've done to you-wouldn't you have been happy to see the ugly beast pay the price for its wr-ong-ongdoings?"

“Just because you were really rude and you scared the daylights out of me doesn’t warrant you being destroyed! I'm not heartless to do such a thing-even though I'm still fairly angry with you!” Belle huffed loudly, but it was in that moment she finally realized that she was still holding onto him with a growing tight grip on his leather sleeve. An odd blush flushed across her cheeks and she swiftly let go of the animatronic to distance their bodies some.

‘Wait... Him? He? Since when is this thing a he? It's just a machine and even if it's shaped like a man it's not human nor living... So there's also no reason to get embarrassed about touching it so long.' Belle thought to herself, but her mind couldn't help but add human attributes to it when it spoke and acted much like a regular person-well, minus it's beastly appearance and screeching. 'At least it recognized that what it did was wrong, a simple machine wouldn't feel so much a scrap of guilt would it?' 

“You… are a strange one-for a human.” He-it huffed back at her, and she found its irritated look was becoming rather cute in her opinion despite the sharp rotten looking teeth peering from behind his curled back lips. “You sound ada-da-mant about being a night guard here-I supp-pos-ose I could not convince you to leave simply out of the kindness of your heart?" A clawed hand of its flourished about in the mock plea it had asked of her, though it hardly looked pleased it was even having to ask.

Belle gave it thought for a moment, but it was simply for show before she announced her true answer in one curt word.

“Nope.” She actually smiled at the animatronic then and watched as the curled lip and scowl it bore flopped into itself, becoming more of the utterly confused big eyed looked she had seen before. A frustrated sigh escaped Belle's lips against her wishes when she realized she was going to have to pester this thing to get anywhere with it. “What’s the real big issue with me working here anyways? Besides the whole 'Avonlea doesn't need anyone here after hours routine.'”

It glared at her as if what she had asked was such a bother to reply to. “I’d like very much to be left alone. You see, _dearie_ , the night hours are the only time I can even walk down these halls. All day I sit in the dark, locked away, and hardly able to move until these few hours I am allowed to-but now there's people like you ruining all of that. I for one don’t-I don't need some human to be shrie-rie-king at me every single time I so happen to walk into a room.”

“Is that what you're afraid of?" Her voice was a lot softer than it had been most of the night, but her compassion towards the machine was growing as the hour progressed. "If you're worried about me being frightened don't be, I'm not scared of you-not anymore at least.” Belle took a step back on her boot clad feet to gain a better advantage to look up and down at the animatronic's leather clad form all over again. A quick glance confirmed for the young woman that the animatronic truly wasn't 'terrifying' in her own opinion. Already she was getting used to it's unique robotic features along with its somehow sentient qualities-even if she was still a bit anxious around it.

It became apparent to the security guard that her gaze must have made it more aware of its current position in the light as it was trying to slink back into the darkness to hide. The darkness was the animatronic's natural home as it just clearly explained, so it must feel more confident in the depths of shadows, a fact which broke her heart a little more. To think that the machine has been denied any right to reside in the light and the world built around it-the one that Belle lived in day to day with out thinking twice about, seemed too awful of a fate to bestow upon anyone or _anything._

“Don't go, I'm being serious. You’re not that scary, not as much as you think you are anyways.” It looked shocked yet again when it swiveled its head on its pivot like neck back towards her, letting its mop of wiry brown hair fall over it’s eyes in the process. Did it truly think that she couldn't look upon it without horror or disgust? Or could it simply not believe that she didn't want to runaway from it or had not grown to hate it after everything Friday night?

Surely there must be a way the two of them could coexist here without causing harm to the other, and if there was anyone who could find a way it was her!

“You know I believe we can make this situation that we're stuck in work for the both of us." Belle began, capturing it's undivided attention with the whim in her lilt. "Think of it like this! If I leave, as I will eventually one day, Marco will simply have to hire another security guard to replace me. Then you’ll have to either scare the pants off someone else all over again or hope that they'll be fine with you being around like I am, but there's the possibility they won’t be as considerate as I am if they do see you. Yet, if I stay here you don't have to worry a single bit about being reported or having your existence given away.”

It seemed completely fair in the security guard's mind, but the machine was hardly enthused with how it reverted back to snarling at her.

“So-you’re blackma-ail-iling me into letting you stay?” It snapped its hinged jaw in a resounding clack, though all Belle did was shake her head in reply.

“No. I’m not going to tell anyone about you at all, no matter what happens after here tonight. I can clearly see you're more than just a machine, and I don't want you to get hurt because of me. So if you let me stay here and do my job as I was hired to do I can promise you that I’ll leave you alone and not bother you if that's what you want. It’s a fair-possibly once in a life time deal if you think about it.”

Out of the blue the animatronic broke out an odd loopy smile as she said her last few words. She could clearly see a strange spark leap across the orbs in its head and their yellow light which appeared to change the mechanical man's personality and posture yet again, though exactly into what she did not know.

“A deal you say? You've peaked my curio-ri-osity... If agree to this, _deal,_ I will be safe to wander and roam about the building as much as I like?” Its tone had become more reassured even if it was asking her questions, but Belle simply nodded in agreement. “You also won’t bring a mob to the back door to hunt me down and tear me apart for pieces if you so wish?” She stared at him with an open mouth, appalled by such a horrible notion. "I'll take your silence as a no. Yet, if you can grant me closure on these things, then I can gladly say dear…  Hmm... What should I call you? Ah, you seem fond of the title hono-nor-rable knight.” The scaly machine giggles and glitches at the same time, flinching while doing so, but all Belle feels is a wave of embarrassment crash into her at its teasing.

"So you were spying on me Thursday night! You knocked over that chair and bolted off-you scared me half to death you know!"

"I wouldn't call it 'spying' for you were giving a perfor-for-mance on stage here, and I simply hap-pen-pened to see most of it !" The animatronic chided her in its mocking tone before drawing itself up to full height, grasping at the lapels of its frayed vest. “Now-I can see your honor and nobility is true, as you've failed to give the secret of the beast away, and I-the Dark Sorcerer of Avonlea will accept your deal, but with one tiny addendum!”

One of Belle's brows rose up at the mechanical man's tittering, but she willed it on with a tilt of her head. Surely if it was such a tiny thing it was planning to ask for she could acquiesce without any complaining. 

“You must promise to stay here and work the night shift till the end of the year!” With the animatronic's startling proclamation it flourished both segmented index fingers near the sides of its head.

“What?! But it’s only August-that means I'm going to be stuck here for five months!” Belle blurted out, unable to keep her disappointment contained as originally planned. 'It told me it was a tiny request, but that's the exact opposite!'

The machine 'tsked’ at her before amusement began gleaming over its silicone features while it bounced on the heels of its feet. “I deserve a bit of reass-ura-urance don’t I-that the _‘Heroic Knight’_ will keep to her duty for a fair amount of time, eh? It'd be no good to have you around only for a month or less and then _force_ me to go back to  _forcing_ the night watch out.” 

Something tugged at Belle's heart despite her frustration at a seemingly unfair deal overall the impish being demanded. Perhaps there was much more to its request for her extended amount of time working the job than she merely thought at the moment. Belle didn't feel like figuring it out that right then and there either nor would she would be able to-she doubted she’d ever understand the mechanical man nor the ongoings of its mind-or programming.

With little choice left the young woman made her decision before she could falter.

“Fine. I promise I will work here till the year is over so long as you let me do my job in peace.” Belle sighed before she quickly stuck her hand out towards the scaly mass of metal in a means to finalize their agreement. All the animatronic did was stare at her extended offer with confusion flickering in its eyes before they flickered back to gaze into her own. The beauty simply quirked her head right back in confusion and looked at it from underneath her long eyelashes. “Now, you do know how a deal is completed right?”

“A-Are you sure… You wish me to grab your hand?” It looked away swiftly with its face mostly hidden by shadows and wiry hair. It all came back to her rather quickly, for Belle recalled its iron grip that had indeed bruised her offended hand which was a faint reminder right now.

'It's worried about hurting me again... It really didn't mean to, I can tell-he's just not used to contact.' Before the machine could react Belle reached out her hand and drew his into her own grip while he gave another offended squeak at the touch. With a heft of her arm she shook for both of them, baring a smirk at her new 'co-worker' who stared sillily at their clasped hands. It was surprising... The hand against hers was not nearly as cold as she remembered it had been, and she wondered about that oddity in her mild distraction born out of her growing fascination with the animatronic.

“The deal… Is struck.” The mechanical being whispered and then brokenly cackled right in her face, just about spooking her yet again with the volume of the high pitched laughter.

When its giggles had died down Belle hummed out loud in thought. “I just realized I made a deal with a person whose name I don’t even know.”

"Not the smartest move to m-make-" With a tug the mechanical man freed his larger hand from her smaller one, and Belle blushed faintly again realizing her thumb had begun tracing over the smooth gold green scales melded with its metal shell absentmindedly. “I suppose now that I’m no longer in danger of beco-com-ming ‘scrap metal’ that it’s only fair I give you my name but only if I might have yours in return.”

Belle rose a brow at it and watched as his fluttering hands tented together, kneading and twirling something she couldn’t physically see between its fingers. 

“I highly doubt you don’t already know my name-since you seem to overhear everything.” The security guard dully pointed out.

“I still have manners you know, even for a monster.” It grinned widely at her again, showing the two rows of pointy deadly teeth as if to remind her of its ‘monstrosity’. It stood back from her with cat like movements and gave a flourished bow, bending further than was necessary if a bow was even necessary at all. “The name is R-R-R-Rumplestiltskin!”

Belle finally emitted a loud giggle but attempted to cover her mouth with the back of her hand to suppressed the echoing sound. “You mean like in the classic fairytale? I don’t recall the small imp who spun straw into gold to be a dangerous dark sorcerer-nor quite as big as you are.” The mechanical imp was taller than her by a few inches, two at the most with her boots on, so it was not 'towering' and yet not the tiny man like creature the fairy tales always depicted.

“My progra-gram-mmer took liberties with the stories renditions, dearie.” The machine said so as a matter of fact with a snort that was more a grinding mechanical noise than a puff of air. “And who are you to talk, you’re rather short for a knight Ms…”

“Belle French. Newly titled Noble knight and protector of Avonlea-I guess.” She followed up her introduction with a curtsey despite not being dressed like a noble woman at all. Her red obnoxious bow draped at her throat was about as frilly and extravagant as she could be at the moment. “It’s a pleasure to meet you… Rumplestiltskin.” The clunky name rolled off the tongue with a bit of effort but Belle found the name rather… Likable in connection to it-no... In connection to _him_.

An odd soft smile stole across his face upon his spoken name and Belle was mesmerized by such a human look residing there. How could something hand and mold made, full of wires, chips and various metal, act and move so much like a living creature? Or how long had he gone without hearing someone say his name or had even been spoken to by a human being? There were still so many questions she had building up within her chest and new ones to add to her growing collection amongst the answers she had gained today.

Though now, it seemed so silly to be afraid of this animatronic man when said metal creation seemed to grow shy at even the mention of his own name.

Belle felt her cheeks warm pleasantly this time around as she smiled at her new very odd and strange acquaintance. “Now, how come you didn’t come out earlier when I called on you, Rumplestiltskin?” Belle asked then before putting her hands behind her back while she peered up at him. Rumplestiltskin seemed to recoil from her and the light once more, as if awoken from a daydream, stepping back into the dark hall as his instinct seemed to make him do so.

Those wild eyes floated in the darkness a bit before he spoke up, trying to sound as if what he said didn't matter. “I didn’t figure you’d ever want to see me again after what I did to you and how I got you hurt..."

“While I’m still quite bothered by you chasing me around, because that was totally uncalled for-I’m not unforgiving. I’ll wholeheartedly forgive you-on the condition that you never try to scare me or anyone else like that ever again.”

Rumplestiltskin gave her an exasperated look if she could call it that while a puff of forced air came from deep within his steel throat. “I can’t promise you that, dearie. Someday I might need to terrify some other humans if they feel foolish enough to try and break into Avonlea. It's happ-pen-ened before and I don't doubt it won't happen again.”

Belle blinked, feeling a bit befuddled at what he was talking about, but the story Marco shared of the break in months back came tumbling into the forefront of her mind. “You! The last people who tried to rob Marco and Avonlea didn’t get to because you scared them-or whomever it was away, didn’t you?”

He looked quite proud at her for recognizing his unknown role in that event, nearly puffing up in his odd vest like an elaborately dressed rooster of sorts. “Of course I did! This is where I live after all, and I can’t have any of you humans breaking in and doing whatever happens to please you. Avonlea is a safe place for children and adults that I won't let be tarnished by trash like that-that’s why Avonlea doesn’t need a guar-ar-dian nor a knight, not when it has me around.” 

So many questions were starting to fill her brain at that very second, so many that Belle was loosing count, but one of the most important won through.

Belle bounced towards Rumplestiltskin as her excitement and curiosity drew her closer to the machine who seemed to be wanting to step away from her and her unexpected enthusiasm. With wide blue eyes the beauty sputtered out her words, hoping to gain more insight to the being before her. “That reminds me! How come you don’t show up on the camera feeds when you're out and about? I know you should be on the video or the recordings but you never appear in them. Also, where at do you hide during the day so you don't show up on the daytime feed-or do you just not show up at all regardless of time?”

“Now, now, these are all my trade secrets, dearie! The answers will cost you a whole other deal regarding such infor-for-mation, and I don't think you want to pay up for that. It'll be quite... _Costly_.” Rumplestiltskin gave another tittering glitch filled giggle as if to tease her, much to her simmering frustration gnawing at her skin.

“Then I think I’m done dealing with you for one day. Perhaps I’ll even figure all these secrets out on my own.” Belle stated out right while crossing her arms over one another. He seemed rather disappointed at her lack of pleading and begging for him to spill his mysterious, but Belle was truly fighting with everything she had against her desperation to know how he got away with all these things-and so much more.

“Well...” The machine spoke up after a few awkward seconds of silence came between them, picking at a stray fiber from his frilled shirt sleeve. “I’ll let you get back to your job now… Which I guess does involves such things as guarding Avonlea-Oh wait! You weren't doing any guarding you were actually catc-chi-hing up on your precious sleep instead!” He informed her in a snide tone and with a delicate touch plucked the string straight from his shirt with ease.

Belle unfolded her arms, preparing to shoot back a snide rebuttal but she knew that he was right-she had fallen asleep on the job much to her growing embarrassment. Belle tried to fight off the reoccurring feeling but her colored cheeks gave away her true emotions swirling inside. “Hey! I didn’t mean to fall asleep, I didn't get any rest at all today… But I promise I won’t make the mistake of falling asleep while I'm here at Avonlea ever again.”

“Good! I’d hate for the man-age-agers money to only be going towards your beauty rest.” A snicker of sorts escaped him and his flittering fingers curled into knuckles by his smiling tight lipped mouth. Belle knew she should have been growing mad at his constant rude behavior, but there was a playful undertone in his movements and squinted eyes that Belle didn’t miss. In fact she mused that he was simply teasing her despite what she had presumably thought. “I’ll… I'll leave you now, as our agreement stands. I will try not to get in your way from now on, knight. I promise you won't have to see much of me...”

“Oh.” Belle faltered at this sudden change of atmosphere. She supposed he was right though, that was the agreement they had both made. It made her feel a bit... Sad, that perhaps the machine truly wished for no company and desired to be free to stroll the halls without peering eyes looking at him or bothersome security guards to talk to. It didn't seem right in all honesty to the young woman, however, she thought it might be best for right now. “Very well, Rumplestiltskin, I will leave you to go about your normal night-you can just pretend I'm not even here.”

They both stood there awkwardly for what had to be a third time that night with the imp rubbing his fingers together at his side and the guard simply tucking her bottom lip under her teeth while struggling to find what would be the right thing to say. Instead, the imp looked her in the eye and nodded his head gently at her, before turning from the room with a swish of his jacket. Into the darkness he departed, away from the warmth of light it could not feel and away from the lingering human being altogether.

She listened as his parts whirred, clicked, and clacked as he walked away till they disappeared, and only then did Belle approached the door to glance out into the hall. It was empty, devoid of any other figure or form, and she felt almost as if all that had occurred was but another erratic dream. 

‘From now on till the end of the year…’ The promise she had made echoed softly in her mind when she had turned from the empty door frame and looked towards her desk and the rest of the room. ‘That'll be quite a while to be stuck here-what if I find some better part time job in just a month or so? It’s not like he can force me to keep this promise, so I can leave whenever I want wether it likes it or not.’ Yet even though Belle knew she was free to walk out that back door anytime she liked-without any regard to the machine who lived in the dark, she also knew she’d keep her word and ought to make herself at home within Avonlea. Still, the thought of being stuck here for well over a few months, bored and lonely in these dead six hours at night, without even approaching her new companion sounded much more unfair than she had previously thought.

Belle brushed back a lock of her auburn hair while she pulled back her swivel chair to take up her job properly. ‘He... Rumplestiltskin looked like he was having fun teasing me and talking to me... It's probably been a while since he's even had a chance to do such a thing-but maybe I'm just seeing things. Yeah, he probably wants nothing to do with me at all, which might be for the best.’

With that last thought on the matter the security guard sat quietly in her office returning to her 'normal' routine too. Though all the while she attempted reading her book her ears were straining just incase she might hear that familiar set of 'clacking' steps moving back down the hall outside her open door. There was none and Belle wondered why she was hoping there would be any. It seemed the impish being was keeping to his word for he did not approach her nor her tiny room full of light for the rest of the night.

Somehow that made Belle forlornly and absentmindedly flip through her book with less vigor than usual.

However, she was not alone in this growing displeasure at the new rules set in this deal.

In the thick darkness at the far end of hall a set of glowing eyes looked to the block of light streaming out from the security office door, wearily watching and awaiting a possible offer to return.

—————

When the clock chimed down at Belle from its perch it rang six times upon the hour, letting her know that it was now time to head home for her shift was done. In all this time that had passed not once had Rumplestiltskin stomped, clacked, or snuck past her door nor had he suddenly spoke from around the frame's corner as if too spook her. With a heavy sigh, another one to add to tonight's count, Belle realized her previous rationalization had to be true. It did seem he wanted nothing to do with her at all now that he was free to go about the night without worry or care.

She didn't let it bother her-not more than it was when she got up from her chair and began to prepare to depart. Taking her time, Belle packed up her recently finished book, that didn't seem quite so satisfying tonight, and her own things before she set the security camera tablet back in it’s resting place for the night. With care she glanced about her desk and then the rest of her small room, feeling satisfied that at least everything was in its proper order. Except, one out of place object caught her eye from the edge of the desk.

There sat the chipped mug she had accidentally broken hours ago, and so she picked it up, pondering on what to do with it. It would be best if the mug was just thrown out thanks to her clumsiness-for its sharp jagged rim would probably get someone hurt if she were to return it to the cabinet to be reused.

'I'll just throw it away in the dumpster on my way out, problem solved.' Belle concluded and grasped it in one of her empty hands as she moved on towards the door frame.

As it had been for a while now the hallway was empty as can be, void of anyone or anything save the small woman closing up for the night. As the door closed behind her with a soft click and all lights disappeared save the glow of her out stretched phone she realized she felt no true ounce of fear well up in her. 'Is it because I really know I'm not alone now? Or because I'm no longer scared of Rumplestiltskin?' Belle thought deeply upon while she gave one last look behind her to the opposite end of the hall just incase the gold green imp might show up. However he didn't appear in a flicker of color nor blur of movement, and she didn’t hear anything save the sound of her own footsteps pattering against the ground alongside her own slow breath.

It was when she was at the back door, pulling it open to return to the world beyond that she heard a faint sound, one she knew was the movement of metal limbs and the ruffle of clothes.

A random smile took it upon itself to tug her lips upwards and Belle turned on her feet, for her body was half out the door, to see a portion of Rumplestiltskin in the waning moon light right behind a hall corner a few feet away. Though he was looking nervous as he had been earlier in the night, perhaps uncomfortable to be near after their deal, he seemed to find some comfort hiding himself from her sight. This portion of his nature humored her and saddened her all at the same time.

“Might I ask, before you go, what you are plan-nin-ing to do with that, dearie?” The odd random question from his accented voice had her looking at him with honest confusion in the faint frown now adorning her lips. It was that way until she saw one of his hands rise, pointing directly towards her hands. It could only be one thing he was asking about, for she was still holding the chipped mug.

'What on earth would does he want with this?' Belle quirked a brow, more or less to herself while she looked the broken ceramic piece over again. It rattled slightly in her grip thanks to the chipped piece sitting inside, disturbing the silence with it's own little chime.

She shrugged back to the animatronic as she decided to keep to the truth-for she had no reason to lie. “I was just going to throw it away in the dumpster out back since it's chipped now.”

Panic seemed to suddenly flash across Rumplestiltskin's face and he stepped from his safety of dense shadows towards her carefully. It was as if he was making his steps purposefully slow even though there wasn't much of a distance between them. Was he treating her as if she were a spooked animal ready to dart at any minute if he got to close? After all the time they'd spent tonight practically in each other's bubbles she didn't think it was a necessary reaction. 'Or maybe he's afraid of me? But that's so absurd-what could I ever do to him and why would I?'

“It’s not unusable just because of a little chip. Besides you don’t know whose it is, they could be upset if you just tossed it out.” He stated nonchalantly, holding out a segmented hand in a mild flourish with that theatrical charm she was starting to see more in him.

Belle had a feeling that there was much more going on with the imp than him simply being concerned about another 'employee' and a mug, but she chose to play along to ensure her building theory was correct. Carefully, for she didn't want to accidentally drop it and break it further, the beauty turned the mug about in her hands for both her and the imp to see. “But I’ll be saving who ever owns this the trouble of throwing it away themselves. They might get hurt trying to drink out of it and I can’t have that happen if they do.”

His maw gaped open a moment while he was lost for words again, revealing to Belle the bits and wires tucked inside his wide mouth. It was becoming very clear now to her and her theory about him was proving to be right. In the sliver light of the moon peaking its way inside Avonlea she could see desire for the damaged item in her hands clearly in Rumplestiltskin's stance as well as in his large eyes that were practically glued to the object. It didn't make a lick of sense. Why would a machine, one not capable of drinking or even having a real use for such a human tool, be so torn on wanting something like a mug?

“But... To be honest, I don’t know where it is best to throw things like this away in case it might get someone else hurt-do you happen to know?” His eyes clicked back up to hers then, and though she didn't admit what she knew he was truly asking of her she did give him a soft knowing smile in response. “Would you take care of it for me Rumplestiltskin?” Delicately she held out her hand with the mug, it’s broken piece continued to rattle inside which tinkled like a soft laugh between them.

Wearily the animatronic reached out and tried to grasp the mug, appearing to do so while trying to not touch her either, but he had to in order to grab it. She noticed when they brushed hands ever so gently that his dark green gold metal was such a contrast to her fair peach skin, but overall she was marveling more at the way he sparkled in the silver light.

“I’ll take care of it, have no wor-or-ries.” He tittered softly and then in a viper like movement pulled the mug to himself as if she was about to snatch it back in cruel jest.

Belle jostled with her bag’s strap to push it back up her shoulder while she beamed at the now entranced Rumplestiltskin. Seeing him now was easy in the moonlight and it allowed her to not miss a single second of the awe building in his face as he rolled the brittle mug in his hands. The broken piece tinkled lightly over and over because of this, and his lips twitched up further in reaction. Somehow this tiny little scene she wouldn't be able to properly describe in pen or paper entranced Belle more than anything and her face shifted into her own look of awe.

Those yellow orbs for eyes revealed he had become aware of her inquisitive stare not before long, and with a jerk of his head he quickly displayed a mild frown back at her as if to hide all that she has seen. It was too late for such facades for either of them and all the young woman could do was giggle at him out of the blue. Rumplestiltskin grew more flustered, hunching back his shoulders with the mug tightly pressed to his chest, and Belle managed to quiet her fit of laughter while brushing her hair back with a push of her hand.

“Hmmm-I've got to go now. I have a long day ahead of me at my other job but don't think I won't be back, we have a deal after all." Belle murmured, feeling the wind outside pick gently at her runaway strands of locks and seeing it tug at the stringy ones curled about the imp's face. "I'll see you tonight... Till then.”

He blinked those unusually unblinking eyes for once as he responded numbly. “Y-Yes, I'll hope to see you tonight as you've promised... Till then.”

“Have a good rest of your night… Rumplestiltskin.” Belle turned slightly away and held the door knob in a mild grip, feeling awkward that this human like figure wasn’t walking out with her but that she was instead locking him up inside this empty building.

“Good night, dearie.” He replied a few moments later before he turned from her, all while cradling the ceramic ware to him as if it was more precious and worthwhile than anything else within this dark place full of things. Belle waited though, listening to the shuffle of his boots as the animatronic moved further away into the black halls.

Her resolve to continue on returned in full swing and so Belle closed the door finally behind her after locking it back up tight. With the door locking it felt as if a coating of silence had been torn away from her person. The chirping of insects and birds, the sounds of nature in the dawning light, and the world outside washed over her mind in a soothing wave to pull her back to reality beyond Avonlea’s fantasy filled walls. Out in the clear and open space the young woman could finally have the chance to put her scrambled thoughts together properly.

Not that it didn't make everything that she has gone through in the last week and a half any less bizarre than what it was.

Here she was, little already odd enough Ms. French, actually speaking and talking to a rouge somehow sentient machine of sorts-that hid itself within a family fun center in little same old Storybrooke Maine, as if it were common everyday practice. Even though she has proven Rumplestiltskin is very much real Belle can't help but feel that no one would believe a word of what she has gone through. However, Belle was very much glad she had no intentions of telling anyone about the new secret character she was going to be living beside in the lonely hours of her night watch, for she had no desire now in her entire body to expose him if it meant he'd possibly get harmed.

'Hah! The machine that chased me through halls and filled me with terror is now the very thing I want to protect...'

With a shake of her head, for everything was still too much to process even now, she turned from the back door and walked through the nearly empty parking lot towards her vehicle. The single lamp post still shinning it's light down aided Belle as she hopped inside her car, tossing her bag into the seat beside her to get a move on. It was as she was starting the engine up, letting it roar to life that she froze all movements with her hand upon the stick shift. Those blue eyes stared ahead, pass the window of her car, past the parking lot, and into the break room window where a figure stood behind its pane.

There was Rumplestiltskin once again, reminding her of the very reality laying within Avonlea's walls while he peered back at her with those hauntingly beautiful yellow eyes.

And then, much to Belle's joyous surprise, she watched as he raised a weary hand and waved at her.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A week and a half later after the agreement between the security guard and the animatronic lurking in Avonlea leads Belle to finding Rumplestiltskin keeps his word-to the most literal sense. An unexpected accident involving a swivel chair, a light bulb, and Belle’s unfavorable grace changes all of that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 08/27/15- Chapter Six first-revision completed.

Belle could already hear the upcoming disappointment crackling from the end of the phone.

“Awww, this sucks. You really can’t just ask for one extra night off a week? One measly tiny little night is all I'm asking for, I'm sure Avonlea can handle not having you around for six hours.”

“Sorry Ruby, that's part of the job. I signed up for a five day- _night_  a week gig, and I do need to make what I can to help dad out. He's doing okay, but the extra I make helps keep him up on time with his recent medical bills.”

Belle heard a heavy sigh issue from her cellphone while she maneuvered her spare hand on her car's steering wheel, managing a sharp turn down another dimly lit road. Currently for Belle it was late at night in the sleepy town of Storybrooke, a Friday night to be exact. That meant the security guard was working the night shift, and a rather disgruntled diner waitress was not pleased about it, leaving Belle to feel bad about missing out on another opportunity to hang with said friend. 

Despite having her apartment finally settled in Belle had little time to actually get together with Ruby and have a much needed girls night out. Belle wanted to believe it was between working at Boston still, her nights like this one, and a busy sick father with a flower shop, but the young woman wasn't so sure. Though Ruby was a good friend and they had very fond memories together the beauty was not too fond of partying it up or indulging in the same desires. Then again perhaps, as it had been for years, it was just Belle who was out the loop and needed to get herself out of the house and her books more often.

"The Rabbit Hole is having half priced drinks for ladies tonight, and I’ve got no one to enjoy said drinks. Nor to help me snag a cutie from the bar." Ruby whined, but Belle could only shake her head in response as she took turned down another empty road towards the edge of town. Avonlea was not too far from where she was already, even in the distance the lone street lamps illuminated enough of the massive castle like building that she could see it from a few blocks away.

"Are you sure Mary Margaret can’t join you for the night? She doesn’t have to work tomorrow-well... That is if she still works at the elementary school, which I'm not sure. She does doesn't she?" Belle inquired the last part, having seen the older woman (only older by just about five years) once since she returned to town. 

Belle and Mary Margaret had spoken for a short while when they met at the grocery store, but just about the simple things, the normal friendly chatter. Ms. Blanchard had always been more of Ruby's friend, even though the short dark haired woman with a pretty smile was rather more soft spoken and inclined to Belle's interests than Ruby's.

"She’s already got plans." Ruby grumbled and the sound reminded Belle of a heart broken pup. "David Nolan and her are going out for the weekend. They’ve got a whole romantic trip planned to make googly eyes at each other the entire time. Mean while I’m stuck listening to the guests in the room above me here at bed and breakfast quarrel over late night reruns of Family Feud."

"I quite enjoy that show." Belle chuckled, but she knew her reaction would set the waitress off in a second-even the kind security guard enjoyed doing a bit of teasing herself.

"Bells! At least show a little sympathy why don’t you? Then again maybe you’re the one who needs every ounce of sympathy. After all you're stuck being at that creepy kid place for over six hours straight. Tell me have you seen the ghost of a kid who died there? The one who is missing parts of his skull from falling off the play equipment and cracking himself open like an egg..." Ruby began to whisper in a teasing manner as if it what she was saying was a conspiracy, but now she was setting off the security guard.

Belle gaped a moment as she stared out the front window of her car. “What? No! No! Oh, what kind of rumors is Avonlea getting now?” She carefully turned down another street with phone in hand while realizing she was almost to her destination. Already she could see the shut down establishment with its large neon sign entirely turned off and spooky darkened windows. Pleasantly enough Belle also noticed that she was not feeling an ounce of the fear she had felt just one week ago just at the sight of it. 

“Ruby, no kids have ever died at Avonlea, Marco-I mean Mr. Getto said so when I asked him about it myself. Everyone here in town is just superstitious and they like to make rumors up.”

"You don't know if he told you the truth Belle. He could be  _lyingggg..._ Mr. Getto's covering up the  _murdeeeerss_  to protect his businesses good name. After all they say if anyone dies there they hide the bodies and they are never seen again. Forcing the trapped spirits to haunt the building in the dead of night... Better watch out..." 

An eerie ‘oooh’ echoes through the crackle of the phone and Belle snorts at the typical and terrible rendition of a  _‘frightening’_  ghost. Ruby quickly joined in as they started to giggle, slipping out of the playful theatrics, and together the two of them just laughed at the absurdity of the stories, ghosts, and all. At one point, before she knew the true reason why Avonlea was some what disturbing at night, Belle might have thought these rumors were actual possibilities.

"Well, I’m at work now to fight off these ghosts you mentioned, so I’m going to have to let you go. I am sorry I can’t hang out with you tonight, but I’ll try to make it up to you soon." Belle apologized.

Ruby gave one last sigh, finally seeming to accept her loss of a possible chaotic and outgoing night on the streets, as much chaotic fun as one could have in such a quiet town as Storybrooke. “Good, I'll be looking forward to you keeping your word. Take care though, and watch out for ghost of the woman who supposedly hung herself from the stage. According to a friend of mine she tries to break people’s legs when they walk across it in the dark.”

"Oh god! Ruby!"

Belle hung up after a short goodbye, but not before hearing in the background of the call what had to be faint yelling from upstairs that made Ruby groan in protest.

At the back of Avonlea Belle pulled her car into its usual spot, parking it under the lone street lamp spilling down its yellow light. The dim glow kept some of the thick darkness at bay but was attracting an array of summer bugs that buzzed in awe around it. 

As she sat in her car a moment longer to gather her few things the beauty thought more on the terrible ‘incorrect’ rumors that Ruby had shared tonight. She didn’t remember horror stories of Avonlea being so popular as a kid during her summer spent there fourteen years ago. The family fantasy fun center had always been a cute charming place that brought her comfort and a bit of respite to her own dim world-well, till recently anyways. Perhaps all the years she’d been away from Storybrooke had been enough that she missed the entire eruption of the superstitious hullabaloo.

When the security guard finally emerged from her car with her bag in tow she was left to just shake her head in dismay. She didn't know where on earth these supposed ‘ghost’ stories were coming from but they needed to stop before they went to far and got someone hurt... Then again, she was the one person who probably knew where the superstition met reality first hand.

"They're way off base thinking it's ghosts." The blue eyed beauty smiled a bit sadly to herself before perking up when she looked at the back door looming ominously feet away. "But then again, a crazy animatronic man hiding about doesn’t sound much more reasonable either."

—————

“Hello. Hello? I’m back again.” Belle felt silly announcing her return as she locked the back door, set the alarm, and made her way to her snug little office. Though she knew it would have felt even more awkward for her if she hadn’t announced her appearance, but it wasn’t like it- _he_  didn’t know it was her or that he didn't know she was going to be showing up. Then again with how quiet the place had been it sure seemed as if the machine wasn't even lurking in Avonlea anymore despite the beauty knowing fully well he was.

Like she expected for the past three nights the mechanical imp hadn’t responded to any of her midnight greetings. Belle would wait a spare few seconds before continuing on her usual routine, but no 'hello' or even a screech echoing down the hallway had resounded back to her. In fact, the security guard had seen next to nothing of the animatronic that called itself Rumplestiltskin, and Belle for one hadn’t been expecting him to take it upon himself to keep to their verbal agreement so literally. It seemed the animatronic intended to stay out of her sight and out of her way as best as he could-which was pretty damn good to her building frustration. 

During her Tuesday shift not once did Belle hear him strolling through the building the entire six hours, not even after getting up from her chair and walking a good portion of the building did she catch a soft 'clack' of his parts. Wednesday night, yet again, she saw no sign but finally managed to hear him, as faint as it was, from another room. The young woman recalled how she had darted into that dark party room hoping to catch him-for her own reassurance she believed. In the end she had found no trace of him or where he'd disappeared to.

It wasn’t till Thursday that she’d even seen a single strand of his wiry grayish hair covered head.

The animatronic had been in the arcade area when she was doing a primitive security check, though it was actually done more so to keep her from getting a sore backside because of sitting too long in her chair than keeping a tight perimeter. As she had walked and curiously glanced around she had noticed not far off a peculiar lovely lilt rising in the air. The singing, she could not place to any known music, turned out to be Rumplestiltskin humming an odd little tune to himself as he simply strolled about. 

The mechanical imp was still too illusive despite her attempt to catch him, and before Belle even reached the spot she’d seen him between two game cabinets he was already long gone.

‘Well he’s only doing what you asked of him. You’re the one who made the deal about staying out of each others way in the first place.’ Belle's mind informed her as she made home in her office, and unfortunately her conscious was right, causing her growing frustration to physically appear as a red blossom across her fair features. The young woman had made it seem like she wanted no part in anything to do with Rumplestiltskin upon their deal. After the terror he’d put her through she shouldn’t want any part in dealing with him, and yet… Belle did. 

Belle squirmed in her swivel chair, trying to channel her thoughts anywhere elsewhere than upon the enigmatic machine. A machine who was no doubt making sure to keep far away from her office yet again this night.

Meanwhile, during the last few shifts this week Belle had done quite a bit of exploring on her own as the animatronic kept his set boundaries from her. Nothing of real interest came up with her prodding and snooping around though, honestly she was just searching for more information on the machine and any on his hideaway. There had to be a place he hid himself throughout the day that would explain why he had never have been found for as long as it appeared he’d been living in Avonlea. Belle's curiosity was becoming more insatiable over these deepening mysteries, which meant she was growing overwhelmed by its might each day she went without any answers.

The most peculiar thing she had noticed while investigating was that the mug she chipped was never returned to the break room's cabinet. Actually, she had some what expected that too. She recollected how the animatronic had looked at the broken item with such fondness and snatched it away from her when she offered it to him. What he had done with it was just another mystery to add to her collection, but Belle had a good hunch that Rumplestiltskin had decided to keep the mug for whatever reason.

Growing more and more intrigued over mugs and machines every night was not helping keep Belle in that small office. Already just ten minutes in tonight the security guard was heading out of the room and ambling down the dark hall, yet her current destination was nothing grand, just the employees bathroom not far from her bosses office.

The beam of her flashlight shone steadily down the corridor ahead of herself, though she knew looking for Rumplestiltskin was pointless. He was clearly not near her as she could already tell, and there was no sound cues she could pick up on, no ‘clacking’ steps, nor small whirring mechanical parts disrupting the silence. Belle was becoming more positive with the steady silence that the animatronic was not planning on approaching if he didn’t have to.

Belle brushed her bubbling aggravation's aside once she reached her goal, the unisex restroom door opened without a squeak of its hinges as Belle reached out to flick the light switch on. The light lit up the small room a second before Belle heard a ‘flicker’ and then a ‘pop’ of the bulb going out. Darkness, thick and foreboding, washed over the entire room, leaving an eerie feeling to prickle at the hairs at the nape of Belle's neck.

“Oh just great.” The disappointed beauty mumbled to the open air before throwing up one hand in thanks to the forces surrounding her and granting her such bad luck. “I guess I’ll just have to go use the bathrooms toward the front. Marco's crew can take care of this later today...”

After walking all the way to the front end of the building, past her office, the private party rooms, and laser-tag room, Belle stood outside the customer restrooms.... Only to end up more frustrated then before.

No matter how hard she tugged and pulled at the handles of either restroom they didn't budge. It made complete sense that the doors to the bathrooms up here got locked during closing, but it wasn’t helping her situation at all-she didn’t want to have to use the back hall bathroom in the dark with just her flash light (which was ridiculous-she was a grown up for gods sake). It was so silly, there was nothing to be afraid of (that something she once was terrified by hardly seemed rash enough to frighten a woman on the pot).

Yet she still couldn’t make herself do it.

‘Now that I think about it I could ask Rumplestiltskin if he knows where a key is…’ Belle pondered a split moment, believing the machine would know where such a thing might be. As soon as the idea came though she dismissed it altogether with a small puckered frown. ‘I better not, he doesn’t want anything to do me, and I promised I him I would leave him alone. Besides, I can handle this situation all by myself.”

Instead Belle ended up standing in place and thinking hard till an ingenious idea arose in her brain. The speedy night guard made her way towards the employee supply closet in the back of the building and began rummaging through items inside, and it took reaching up with all her little form could muster towards a shelf and teetering on her tippy toes to find a box full of packaged light bulbs. With that vital part of her plan out of the way all that remained was obtaining a ladder. With that she’d be able to change the burnt out light and solve her growing issue all on her own.

Finding the second part of her plan turned out to be a lot more elusive than she thought. There was no ladder found in that small closet, nor in the supply closet near the kitchen where she was currently moving boxes around in hopes to find it hidden behind the mountain like stacks of toilet paper and cleaning supplies. Nothing at all that she was looking for turned up after she cleared the whole tiny space though. Belle was left to stand there with nothing to show for, and she gave a frustrated sigh before taking off her vizor and waving it near her as a makeshift fan.

“Where on earth would they keep a ladder at? With these high ceilings they have to have one for cleaning.” The security guard spoke out loud due to her growing desperation and growing frustrations all accumulating together. 

While she turned to clean up the mess she made the beauty missed the shape of a figure appearing in the open service window leading into the kitchen. Bright yellow eyes owlishly observed the scene before they flickered off as the woman turned around. Belle looked about the empty room with confusion filling her face, wondering why she felt as if someone had been watching her all of a sudden. But as quick as the feeling came it left, leaving the security guard to shrug, close the closet door, and begin her desperate search elsewhere.

“There has to be one somewhere! Perhaps it's just in another room that I haven’t seen yet.” Belle concluded, before striding out of the entertainment room and leaving the hidden figure alone in the dark. The security guard was too caught up in not allowing herself to give up till she had just what she wanted to notice any trailing foot steps.

A good thirty minutes later found the night guard splayed out in her office chair and far too sweaty for her liking thanks to the August heat. Not to mention she was completely ladder-less.

‘I’m going to bother Mr. Getto about where he keeps the ladders or step ladders at first thing tomorrow… Also I should get a set of the public bathroom keys just incase.’ Belle thinks to herself as she swirls in her office chair anxiously with a single light bulb in hand. As she swivels about another idea comes to mind, and she mumbles the thought out to the open air. “I guess if I'm desperate enough I could just try and stand on my chair to reach the fixture, it's better than nothing.”

Moments later that one random thought led to the sound of clattering wheels streaking down the winding hall as Ms. French pushed her swivel chair through the dark.

This was quite possibly one of her most unintelligent ideas yet, but there was little else she could do. A table wouldn't fit through the door and the step-stool from the break room was just too short to do the job. So here Belle was now, stretching out with all she could on the top of her swivel chair in the dark bathroom. The only means of light to see by was being held in her mouth since her hands were too occupied for the flashlight. Yes, this was not one of her better thought out plans.

Belle was positive her arm would be sore after all this was over with how hard she was straining to take the old light out. A muffled cry of joy gushed from her throat when she finally got the broken bulb removed from is fixture after trying for what felt like forever. All that she needed to do now was get the new one in and no one would know of this embarrassing predicament.

The young woman set the burnt out bulb down on the ground, minding where she placed it before trying again. It was worse trying to get the new one back in for she was barely able to align its track to that of the light socket's.

'Just-a-bit-mooore.' Her mind pushed the thought further as she herself pushed with all she could, minding not to slip on the unstable chair while she was at it. 'A-little-further-' The light bulb was finally getting into the track of socket, with a careful twist she should be able to get it-

_“What are you doing?”_

Belle jerked hard at the sudden voice who had disturbed the lingering silence she had grown used to, but it was far too late when she realized her mistake. The chair swiveled along with her erratic movement, and her quick flailing arms didn't help prevent the inevitable outcome. In an instant the bulb was flying from the beauty's hands as the chair beneath her feet rolled straight out from under her.

For a moment she expected that she was going to crash straight into the ground head first. More than likely it was going be the blow that finally costed her everything, spilling her vibrant red essence all across its surface. It was rather surprising when Belle felt no immediate horrible collision with the black and white checkered tile and her skull. There was the sound of a bulb shattering near her in her muffled hearing but no sounds of any of her bones cracking.

Instead, Belle felt her whole back collide with something extremely firm, and though she still fell to the ground with it the force had kept her from completely toppling over.

“Ms. French are you alright!” The voice that had startled her, Rumplestiltskin’s voice to be exact, blurted close by in her ear. Belle felt her mind whirl at the sound of it as she was still trying to catch up with her world having been torn from under her feet. Carefully the woman tilted her head to look down and found herself being held up by two arms, one around her waist under her arm and one beneath her knees. 

It all snapped into place. The imp who was now sitting on his backend with his leather clad knees buckled upwards on the floor had saved her from a nasty fall. And despite his cold metal hands, whose icy touch she could feel nip at her through her clothes, her back pinned against his chest felt that he was somehow…  warm.

'How is he so warm when the rest of him is cold... And why... Does it feel so familiar?’ The blue eyed beauty thought in wonder, for this sensation of being held within this grasp felt so normal despite being anything but ordinary. Belle felt heat swell into her cheeks when she realized she was more focused on the imp beneath her than the current rate of her heart slamming into her chest from her plummet.

"Ms. French, you're not hurt are you? I-I shouldn't have snuck up on you, but I didn't know..." Rumplestiltskin spoke, sounding worried as his crackling voice trembled near her ear. The way he spoke sounded so human and less of the eerie trickster he paraded around in most other occasions.

Quickly the security guard brushed away the strange dream like sensation she felt before returning to the reality around her. “I’m fine since you were kind enough to break my fall, but you startled me. Before I knew it the chair was rolling out from my feet-"

A sharp clack rung right next to her head in an instant, what she knew had to be a snap of his jaw. “What you just did was abs-absolue-olutely reckless! Were you trying to get your-our-self killed! If you would have hit your head who knows what would have happened-”

“It's not like I was trying to! I was just trying to change the light bulb till you showed up!” Belle swiftly defended, turning her head full of wayward locks of hair so she could better see the mechanical man.

His illuminated face was much closer to hers than what she had expected when she had moved to face him. Even their noses, his welded slab of metal and her dainty human pink, almost brushed due to their proximity. The stern look Rumplestiltskin was casting at her melted away into what she believed was confusion with how his split brows shot up on their tracks and his snarling mouth softened. It was a mimc of the look she was wearing too. Everything else she had been feeling previously was becoming numb thanks to this strange situation. 

“Thank you…” Belle managed to form some audible words despite her throat feeling dry all a sudden-surely not because of the firm arms still draped about her. She meant to stop staring at him, but she was finding it hard to look at anything else than him, especially when his eyes were producing the only close light at the moment. They were spilling their golden amber color over his glittering scales, silicone cheeks, and upon her soft flesh, casting everything in the small space between them a range of warm colors.

More so it was letting Belle see up close to this animatronic man like never before. In a trance like state she watched his face flicker and twitch with 'life' so much like any living human's.

“You have such pretty eyes.” The whisper ghosted out from her semi parted lips before she realized it had escaped.

Rumplestiltskin's eyes widened and a choked sound of metal and air came forth from him, alarming her of what she had done. Belle gasped like a fish for a split second, trying to recollect her scrambled thoughts on what to say as her embarrassment grew ten fold. Immediately the imp turned his intense stare from her to the floor with a swift flick of his head while Belle's eyes followed the glow as it trailed the bathroom.

"Oh dear..." Rumplestiltskin murmured when his false eyes illuminated a spot on the tiles that was covered in the shattered remains of what once was a new lightbulb.

Belle winced at the sight, though she was far more glad that it was the lightbulb there split into pieces then herself. "I'm sorry, I can pay for that-"

“W-what kind of knight are you if you’re consta-sta-ntly breaking things!” Rumplestiltskin stammered out of the blue with his glitchy high pitched voice. Belle attempted to speak but ended up squeaking out in shock when the imp suddenly rose to to his feet in one great push. All the security guard could do was clutch one arm around his shoulder instinctively as he continued to hold her within his arms and against his body.

They kept like that another few seconds, and it made her stomach flutter at the intimacy shared between their caught gazes.

Without warning Belle was set hastily down before she could react. His viper like arms snaked from her as quick as they could, and Belle had to brace herself against the wall because of her still wobbly feet. A slight frown formed on her face when she turned to look back at Rumplestiltskin who was already lurking halfway out the shadowed doorway.

“Knights aren’t renowned for grace if I recall the fairy tales correctly.” Belle hummed with a quirk of a brow, trying to fight off the heat that was flooding into her cheeks. It was a pointless endeavor, no doubt he could see so much better in the dark than her, and the red was a dead giveaway. “You really saved me there though, who knows what would have happened if I had gotten hurt.”

“You should have came and got me if you were so determined to do something so foolish, dearie.” Rumplestiltskin snorted from his corner of the door way, seeming to ignore her thanks on purpose. “At least if I were to have copied your actions I would have survived.”

Belle frowned further, and then turned away from him to find her flashlight sprawled on the ground near the sink. As she was bending down to pick up the poor object Belle grumbled loud enough so the animatronic could hear.“I have a name you know.” The impersonal  _‘dearies’_  were getting pretty old, and she was sure even without looking that the machine was keeping up that scolding look towards her. 

“Also, I didn’t want to bother you. I thought I could take care of the light myself, and for your information I did look for a ladder... I just never found one.” She whirled back around, preparing for his unblinking glare, but was surprised again to find him looking at her with a contemplative look. “What?”

“I.. Can show you where all the ladders are kept-t-t... If you want to-I didn't realize you didn't know...” He spoke softly and appeared once again rather shy with his downturned eyes and dark clawed digits curled over the wooden frame.

“Would you please?” An excited Belle asked before even thinking the offer completely through. The security guard knew her eagerness for him to show her around was more than about just wanting to know where the damn ladder happened to be. Her swift reaction seemed to startle him as he had her, but even though his jagged toothy smile looked rather weary, he also looked... Almost happy.

“Very well, but I’m only doing this so I don’t have to worry about Marco needing a new security guard so soon. We have a deal after all, and I can't have you getting hurt to get out of it…”

“Yes of course-our deal.” Belle smiled back, hoping her sole companion could see it, and sure enough he did, causing him to slink further behind the shadowed doorway.

—————

Belle hadn't been expecting getting an inclusive tour, but she was glad for the change of pace and the fact the mysterious animatronic seemed willing to put up with her-for now. 

Rumplestiltskin took the lead and walked with the security guard to the front of Avonlea, tending to keep a few feet between them. As they past the laser tag room and play area he muttered, as if to the open air more than her, speaking of hidden parts not usually noticed within Avonlea. Some of them were important things such as extra electrical ports and positions were the cameras fixed up above could not catch. He even shared with her things that Belle knew wouldn't matter to anyone who didn't care for Avonlea the way he did. They were simple facts about switches not quite working right or old game cabinets that had been here since the beginning. 

It impressed her just how much he knew about the world he lived in, which was understandable since he'd been here longer than she'd even been alive. Try as he might to contain himself in that impish manner of his even Belle could see the subdued enthusiasm sparking in his alien eyes and flittering hands. Though she noticed he kept fending off her own shy smiles by releasing that alarming laugh of his at random.

When they reached the entertainment area the graceful imp darted up onto the large empty stage, leaving the small human a few paces behind. His clacking joints came to a stop when he was up over the steps, and he looked back at her with an almost mischievous grin, bearing his dagger like teeth.

“Careful now.” Rumplestiltskin called out to her, whether being playful or actually concerned she wasn’t sure. He shouldn’t be able to comprehend either of those emotions with his unnatural composition, but then again he was far more than just unnatural for a machine. "These stairs are quite tricky if you let your guard down. I might have spared you from be-com-coming a splatter once, but who is to say I will do so again?"

"I have a good feeling you would, else you'd have to clean up the mess after such a terrible scene and hide my body." Belle dared to joke in response, and it encouraged another glitch filled giggle of the mechanical man's to slip past his closed grey lips.

"Ah, so that is the rumor people are spreading around about Avonlea now."

Belle approached the steps while keeping his words in mind, and her flashlight helped her over them till she was beside the animatronic. The imp then lead her over to the large red curtains concealing the rest of the stage. Once again he was acting out in rather good manners by holding back the slip of heavy fabric for her when they both were passing behind it.

“Why thank you,  _Rumplestiltskin._ ” Belle smirked, for her guide couldn't hide the fact he was pleased with her appreciation. Even as he turned into the darkness the light of his eyes revealed the twitch of a smile at the corner of his lips.

“Both of the ladders are in this storage room back here. It's not a commonly used room so I guess Mr. Getto doesn't mention it to the new guards.” He informed her as he stepped further into the pitch black till Belle’s flash light following him illuminated the walls around him. Sure enough there was a large door behind the hanging backdrops that she hadn’t seen before, more than likely she hadn't been shown it because she had no need to see it during Marco's tour.

Rumplestiltskin held the door open for her, and Belle tilted her head as she shot him another thankful grin. The beam of her flashlight tore away the darkness when she entered, revealing all that lurked in the dusty quiet room stretching onwards.

Just as Rumplestiltskin said there was a small ladder perfect for what she was needing tucked against the wall beside her, and she happily wandered over to it. The night guard also found the much larger ladder that she assumed was used for cleaning the high ceilings, but that was not the only thing that caught her attention. There was various other pieces of equipment for the stage shows lying around alongside discarded older props-light fixtures, boxes of decorations, and even older signage from years ago. As Belle wandered, minding where she stepped, she noticed a rack of whimsical and medieval styled clothing sitting back in a corner. She approached and admired at the gowns hanging there, especially at what was once a puffy golden dress that time and age had worn down.

There were also some more masculine shirts too, like the yellowish one that Rumplestiltskin wore himself. Sadly these ones were riddled with moth holes and needed some patching up to ever be wearable again. The clothes made Belle stop and think a moment, wondering about the world that had once been when Avonlea opened with the first animatronics. Slowly the security guard glanced back to see the imp that had silently wandered into the room and realized he was the only surviving functional piece of that long lost era.

“Well, has your curiosity been sated?” The scaly animatronic trilled after she had her fill of inspecting through the copious amount of things lingering back there. Belle let go of a black silk sleeve she was admiring, one that she thought would have looked well on Rumplestiltskin if it didn't have so many rips.

“I had no idea this room was even here. I never made it far back onto the stage during my shifts, so I might have never known about it till now. Are there more hidden rooms and things around here that I don’t know about?” The ever so curious Belle asked, however, thanks to the old outfits she was more interested in knowing if her mechanical companion even had anything more to wear himself. 

‘I suppose he wouldn’t-it’s not like he’s living... But he still can get what he has dirty and tore up too. What would he do then?’ 

Belle let herself have another cautious look over the animatronic, and she noticed even in the dark that his state of dress was not the best. Rumplestiltskin's orange ribbed vest he always donned was a bit frayed and missing a button right in the middle, but that wasn't all. The leathery scaled coat he wore had a few holes peppered here and there, his leather pants were wearing thin, and his boots were noticeably scuffed beyond repair.

Belle felt more than a twinge of sadness at the fact that all that he owned was more than likely the clothes on his back.

“Such a curious one you are, far more curious than any of the other secur-cur-ity guards.” Rumplestiltskin didn’t seem to notice her lingering gaze on his form as he tapped his chin with a clawed finger in thought. “Hidden things, hidden things... Besides me dearie, there really isn’t anything else here anyone could call a ‘hidden thing’.”

Belle crossed her arms as she withdrew from her thoughts, for she could tell the animatronic man pretending to be at a loss wasn't quite being truthful.

“There must be somewhere else I don’t know about. This building is so large now after all the remodeling." Belle was trying to speak in the best uninterested tone she could muster. "Maybe there are other unknown room's you forgot to mention. Say... Like where you hide during the day.”

Rumplestiltskin tilted his head and peered at her again with those lidded metal eyes, seeming to catch onto her game much to her dismay. “I don’t think it’s in my best interest to share that with you, unless of course... You have something of value to trade for such information. If so then a deal can always be made.” The mechanical man put on a rather maniacal face as he took a step closer towards her, but it wasn't near intimidating enough to push the security guard away.

“You really seem to enjoy keeping up with that deal maker persona.” Belle squinted back at him in the dim glow of her flashlight but the playful smile on her lips could not be kept at bay. “Okay, I'll humor you a bit. What would you want for such a trade?”

Without fair warning the imp took another step towards her on those laced high boots, drawing his artificially aged face closer to her own. In the quiet his ticking parts could be heard, but Belle was too stuck staring at his nearing jaw and mouth to focus on how loud his gears were clattering on the inside. He was a few measly inches from her once again in a single night, and it was making Belle's heart leap through her ribs. And while there was no breath touching her skin as his lips parted Belle's own lodged itself in her throat.

_“Bring me innocents that I may hunt and kill for my pleasure!”_

His loud quip caught her off guard for only a moment, but Belle was quick to bounce back and frown at his unnecessary humor. The smirking imp leaned back immediately after startling her, putting space back between them with his flighty steps. Though slightly amused Belle put a hand on her hip, studying his mischievous silicone face gloating back in fun while his fingers tented before his chest and kneaded against one another.

‘Yeah, I'm sure he enjoys going in for the kill. It shows after how he saved my skull from being bashed open tonight and on instinct performed first aid at the sight of blood.’ 

“That sounds pretty reasonable for a trade. If you're interested I've got an ex boyfriend or two that would be excellent for hunting.” Belle rolled her eyes as Rumplestiltskin blinked at her before giving a silly smile and another round of those odd unusual giggles. 

Except this giggle was not 'his' usual.

It startled Belle enough to jump in the air when his laugh broke halfway through, reaching a range of shrill crackling that pierced the air. Belle's blue eyes widened as she watched him visibly recoil into himself as if he was in a sudden bout of pain. Worst of all his eyes were starting to physically clatter around in his metal skull, alarming Belle who instinctively moved to reach for him but stopped a few inches short. Even if he was nothing to wholly fear the small human was still worried about spooking him with a sudden touch since he seemed so frightened by them. 

“A-are you okay?” But Belle's question seemed to go over him with how his head lolled upon its pivot like neck. "Rumplestiltskin? Rumplestiltskin!"

The animatronic stepped back from her on wobbly clumsy steps and she followed him on wary ones. Nothing he said was making any sense thanks to the crackling and clipping spilling from his throat, but there was obvious panic spread through out his facial features.

“I hA-ck-b-in-CkKkK-lon-ckKKK-ime-ime-meeeeeckkkk.”

He turned from her then and wobbled out the dusty room and through the door as if in a drunken stupor. Belle was right on his heels though, watching the machine with growing worry as he stumbled into a stone wall, but at least he seemed to know what he was doing despite his arms and legs jerking at random intervals. As he fell to his knees Rumplestiltskin slumped next to an outlet and began to reach his jittery hands up behind his head, but before he could that metal skull of his smacked back into the concrete several times. 

Belle stood in place with one hand holding her flashlight and another hand next to her mouth to hide her terror. She felt awful that all she could do was watch as the animatronic's eyes twitched and his mossy teeth clacked together. It was horrible! These movements and gaping jaw were making his body look more like a writhing snake than any human.

In a few seconds of his odd state the machine produced a set of grey wires from behind the collar of his jacket. Belle watched with baited breath as his wobbly hands grasped the wires and with a gentle thrust pushed the exposed ends into the outlet. A spark shot out of the plugin that very moment, and it made Rumplestiltskin jump straight up from his rear end upon the floor. Immediately Belle was about to call out to him in a frantic flurry but was cut short when the bulbs hanging above suddenly hummed to life in a shower of light around them, filtering the backstage in their fluorescent glow.

‘Wait-How on earth did he do that?’ Belle thought as she stared up in utter awe. The array of lights, from standing fixtures to the ones in the ceiling, were mashing themselves in a chaotic mess of colorful waves right over them while Rumplestiltskin squirmed beneath their touch.

After settling down somewhat the scaly animatronic reached back behind his wiry mop of brown hair with both hands again. Doing so he closed his eyelids shut with a 'click' and looked to be concentrating on the task at hand. Seconds went on like this, with Belle waiting and watching without saying a word, before his strange voice started to clip back in.

“I-CKkKK-re-KKkck-all m-km-there... It should be better now...” Rumplestiltskin spoke as he began to open his eyes, and Belle observed that the horrid twitching that had overtaken him was dissipating. It seemed this machine was okay now, but the instinct she tried to deny had her dashing over to his side and falling to her knees right next to him in seconds. Cautiously she reached out for him, touching his plated portion of shoulder with a natural gentleness as she fumbled for words to address the situation.

“Wha-A-Are you okay now? What just happened? Are you hurt?” The security guard blurted out before she knew what she was saying, but she noticed his alien gaze flicked to her as if in shock.

‘Hurt?’ Belle froze in place when she realized the mistake in her logic. ‘It’s a machine. It can’t be hurt like a human can be... It has no concept of real pain… Right?’ Yet with this odd mechanical man Belle honestly didn’t know if those fundamental facts were true anymore-there was nothing logical or explainable about his existence.

“Fi-Fine. I’m fine.” Rumplestiltskin huffed on a gush of forced air. 

He pulled back his shoulder from her touch and raised his arms up, showing them both his hands as he began testing his digits to see if they all moved properly. The imps notched and segmented joints flexed as his fingers bent, leaving Belle in further awe of him for they were more human like in movement than the simple machines on stage or any mechanical imitation Belle had ever seen. Those fearsome hands coiled back to his chest to knead their fingers together as he spoke once more. “I’ve still got all functional movement-that’s good, and my voice came back at least. I guess nothing is as seve-ver-rely damaged as I had thought.”

Belle let out her own sigh of relief with the apparent return of his ‘normalcy’, but she was still worried about Rumplestiltskin overall. A fit like that seemed to incite the suspicion that there was something far worse going on beneath his plating. “What just happened to you Rumplestiltskin? You looked like you were in pain-when was the last time anyone has checked up on you or repaired you?”

He blinked owlishly for a moment before he looked away from her, yet she could see a fragile smile on his shadowed face. “Oh, I haven’t been repaired by anyone in years, decades even, but it’s no issue. I can handle most of my problems or faults by myself-I don't need you humans coddling me.” He attempted another giggle, but it too broke just the same, leaving him clamping his mouth shut and staring ahead with a grim expression. 

Belle had a terrible feeling that what she was seeing and hearing was proof of more than just a 'faulty' laugh.

“Make up excuses all you want, but you’re obviously not fine, and you need help. What if 'this' gets worse-what if you loose the whole ability to talk, move, or even function?”

“I sup-pos-pose it’d just be my own issue then! It's _always_ been that way, and I'm not expecting it to change now.” He growled back at her in a lower tone as if a warning, but it was displaying the unease she knew was in him though he was trying to hide it.

Belle felt her cheeks heating a bit as the irritation she felt inside began to boil over and loosen her tongue. This was something really important that they should talk about for his sake, and not to mention she didn't want to leave him like this. “You are absolutely frustrating! If you would just let yourself get some help I'm sure you could be fixed. I could even get someone who would help you so Marco wouldn't-"

“It doesn't matter! So just drop it dearie!” He practically snapped with a clatter of his jaw while his hands were now on his knees clenched into fists. It didn't stop her from seeing the emotion burning within his amber eyes or the slight tremble that was starting to rattle again through his frame.

She lost all control holding herself back any longer, which made her reach out and grab hold of his shoulder once more. He refused to meet her gaze when she tried to get him to look at her by pulling herself closer to his quivering body.

“What are you talking about of course it matters, and I for one don't want to see you suffer like that!”

 _“Don’t pretend like you actually care!”_  In a whirlwind Rumplestiltskin was suddenly moving right at her while he spat his hoarse and cruel words right in her face.

His reaction was so fast-his arm shot out before she could even tell what he was doing, and she let out a slight gasp when his hand moved to coil around her neck. Belle thought for a single second that the animatronic almost pinning her to the wall was going to dig his claws straight through her flesh and puncture her throat in his fury. Yet, he didn't. Those large segmented fingers trembled just an inch from her skin, and she knew despite how coiled he was that he didn't want to touch her or hurt her. For a breathless minute that felt like eternity the beauty was pinned beneath Rumplestiltskin's body, and he stared straight at her with a crinkled face radiating pain.

"It... Does-Does-Doesn't... Matter... I don't... Ma-Ma-Matter..." Rumplestiltskin brokenly whispered, but Belle's eyes were stuck on the alarming sight flickering before her.

Those beautiful false eyes that she couldn't deny she found pretty were now just tiny pinpricks of yellow light in the hollows of his eye sockets.

"N-No one cares-no one ever has-Ughh!” His teeth clacked together several times right near her face, and it looked like he was about to dig them into her throat from the angle he sat. “ER-n-able-to-est-get-away-get-away-I-can’t-ki-ki!Forty four-forty four-forty four-forty four- _FORTY FOUR-FORTY FOUR-FORTY FOUR!_ ”

Rumplestiltskin's voice began booming all around them as nonsense spilled from his lips and clattering jaw. The sheer volume of his bellowing alongside those pinprick eyes spiraling in his skull sent chills down Belle's spine.

“Rumplestiltskin!  _Rumplestiltskin!_ ” Belle gasped before she reached for him again and shook his shoulders that were twitching beneath her touch. She was hoping calling out to him would snap him out of whatever ‘fritz’ he must be going through, but he was still jerking his head and speaking gibberish. “Rumplestiltskin! Come back! Please-you're scaring me!”

In an instant those eyes flashed back to their unusually large but normal size at her pleading, making him appear as if his fit of fury had shorted itself out. She watched in anticipation as his scaled face softened and as his body stopped trembling under her touch with such ferocity. But before she could ask if he was okay he withdrew himself and his hovering hand from her person to press himself back against the wall and hang his head in shame. 

Belle found she could breathe again when he pulled away, and though she knew he hadn't touched her in the slightest she still trailed her nervous fingers over her throat.

He hadn't harmed a single hair on her head, and yet a burning sensation welled up in her eyes as she looked at the dejected animatronic sitting away from her. She wanted to cry from all that she had seen spark across his artificial features, but she refused to shed any of her tears. It wasn't that she didn’t want to-her empathy for this creature was becoming vast and great, but she knew he would think she was pitying him if she did. Still, she felt her heart ache and pound with sorrow for Rumplestiltskin as if it was taking the place of the heart he did not have...

Perhaps she knew nothing of being trapped somewhere for decades, or what the complete loss of social contact felt like, nor did she have the slightest idea of how it was to be a conscious being in a metal body... But she knew loneliness when she saw it.

As she kept her gentle gaze on him she spoke, tending to her words as if speaking to a startled animal. “But I do care about you...”

Rumplestiltskin didn’t respond to her. With a bent head he just kept looking down at the ground behind his locks of scraggily hair, but the security guard knew he heard her. A hand of his had twitched by his side against the floorboards and had not gone unnoticed.

“You believe I don't care, and I think I understand why, but if what you said was true then would I have not gone and told Mr. Getto about you? Would I have protected you and kept your secret if I didn't care for you at all?” Belle asked as she scooted closer to the imp despite knowing she shouldn't in case another fit had him screaming and lashing out from a sudden fault.

“Perhaps, I’m just an am-usem-usement to you... That was my original ' _purpose'_  after all. Whomever created me made me to entertain you humans and endure your gawking and laughing at me with a big smile on my face.” He 'clatters' a bit as his legs move and bend inwards, letting him tuck himself into a more contained shape with his arms around his knees. “There’s no need to lie about it dearie, even I know I am ‘unnatural’ for a machine...”

The beauty sighed sadly as he turned away again, but she made up her mind and scooted herself even closer to the machine, gaining his complete attention when her side bumped into his. Those wide alien eyes of his looked to about bug out of their sockets from disbelief at them sitting hip to hip, and she could hear the parts inside him 'click' and 'tick' in a faster rhythm.

Belle couldn't deny she felt her heart start to pound at them touching too, but she pushed the feelings aside as she spoke. “I will admit that you do fascinate me, but it’s not because I find you 'amusing' or something to gawk at. I've never met or have seen a machine in my life with your capability of thought, reasoning, movement, or choice, and I still don't even know how you being this way is possible! But more than that... I like you, and I can tell you are a very unique being Rumplestiltskin.”

“You like me? And you think I'm... U-Unique?” He repeated like a chirping bird, and he tilts his head to study her as if she’s the odd specimen instead. “Don’t you mean to say that I'm 'horrifying' or 'terrifying'? That I'm an 'abomin-min-ation'? I remember many people liked using that one.”

“No! I don’t think of any of those at all when I look at you. If anything you're just a bit 'exasperating'.” Belle pouted, crinkling her forehead a bit with how her brows furrowed. Yet, the young woman was glad to see a bit of that former playfulness coming back into Rumplestiltskin’s lightening features at her unamused and flustered reaction. As they sat together in quiet contemplation she found out that she quite liked his small but fleeting few smiles, just like the one he wore now. 

“I think after having a chance to actually get to know you a bit more, though there is still so much I don't know about you, that some how and some way you’ve most definitely got a soul. You can't be just a simple machine.”

“Me? Have a soul? What an absolute ridic-dic-ulous notion!” The baffled old animatronic exclaimed, and he peered at her again like the normal human was the crazy one between the two. Perhaps she was in this case. “Y-You’re... A very odd one yourself Ms. French, for a human...”

“You’re not the first person to say that-minus the 'human' part, and I doubt you'll be the last either. Perhaps, that’s what makes me such a good fit for odd jobs like this in the first place." The beauty shrugged in reply, and though she watched Rumplestiltskin hunch back towards himself those bright eyes of his remained focused on her person. 

“If I may, can I ask you something personal?” He paused a moment as if growing shy, and the security guard looked at the green gold imp curled about himself as she awaited his question. “Why did you come to work here at Avonlea in the first place?”

It didn’t take long at all for Belle to respond to his unexpected inquiry since a lot of people had already asked her that same question so many times now out of concern or lack of belief that she had a preset answer programed in response. “I needed a part time job here in Storybrooke or nearby since I just moved back into town, and when I saw the ad in the paper I just went for it. I've also worked security guard positions before in Boston so it was only natural I’d apply.”

Rumplestiltskin hummed a moment before he quirked his head towards her and blinked those fake eyelids together despite having no need to do so.

“So you lived here once before in Storybrooke, eh? Though that makes me curious as to why someone like you would come back... I've overheard this town is not all that  _inter-est-esting_  from a lot of employees who've come and gone over the years. Supposedly all there is around here is Avonlea, some diner, and a giant fish cannery which doesn’t sound fascin-cin-ating at all.”

Belle gave a small laugh at that, finding it rather charming how curious he was and how interested in her he actually seemed to be. Maybe in-spite of their deal he didn't mind her presence at all, and maybe wanted to know more about her as she did him. 

“The only reason I came back here was because of my dad, he has a condition that has gotten worse in the last few months... Though I have to admit working at Avonlea was kind of a heat of the moment decision on my part since I could have looked else where for a job. But I couldn't help myself with the soft spot I have for this place, so I just trusted my gut and became the night guard.” Belle informed her strange companion before she mimicked his position, tucking her knees up to her chest and wrapping her arms around her legs.

And there they sat side by side in an array of illuminated colors with tiny smiles at the corners of their lips, tucked away behind stage in a closed Avonlea. They were a very odd and unique pair indeed.

“You said you have a soft spot for this place... So that means you've been to Avonlea in the past, probably quite a few years ago.” Rumplestiltskin spoke up again as it seemed he was growing curiouser and curiouser by the second. 

“When I was younger, during my middle school years, I moved to Storybrooke with my dad from where I grew up in Australia. That first summer here away from everything I’d ever known was hard for me to handle at that age though. I didn’t have anyone to talk to about how I felt at the time nor anything to do besides watch my father's flowers grow or stay inside and read all day. Instead of sulking about the house as I could have done I found Avonlea one afternoon, and from then on that summer I came here almost every single day.”

Belle's smile widened behind her knees as she recalled most of those sunny days fourteen years ago. A lot of it had been spent trekking from her fathers flower shop on foot over to Avonlea with a book or two in tow. She'd also collect spare change overtime for tokens to play the arcade games there, and within a short while she became a master of Ms. Pacman. There had been late evenings too, right before the sun began to set and Avonlea closing for the day, with her stuck at a table reading through her books without a care for the changing world outside those walls. 

Life then had been simple, adventurous, fun, but it had also been undeniably lonely.

“You were the one who sat and read at the back table fourteen years ago.” 

Belle was startled out of her past memories from those words when Rumplestiltskin had abruptly spoke-so much so she about cracked her neck when she twisted it to look back at him. Of course he noticed her wide eyed stare at him right away, and the beauty watched as he fumbled with his hands while his faux lips trembled as if what he was wanting to say had escaped him.

“I-I have an impec-pec-cable memory thanks to my photographic data banks. I never forget anything, which can be quite bothersome by the way, but-I... I remember a small brown haired girl that looked just like you who came to visit Avonlea consta-stan-ntly fourteen years ago.” He said while moving his flightily hands about in wide arcs, but he was still wearing that strange perplexing expression she couldn't decipher. “You also played Ms. Pacman almost every time you stopped by.”

“Ms. Pac man was- _is_  my favorite game! You remember seeing a book worm venture here just one silly summer... After all these years?” Belle trailed off in a whisper before her thoughts clicked and the pieces fell into place. He said he’d been here longer than she’d been alive so of course back then he'd been lurking about this building, and she hadn't the slightest clue. Day after day she sat alone in a corner with only her books to keep company while he sat in the darkness as a forgotten stowaway, peering and observing till he could be free at night.

Both of them had been alone and yet not alone within the same world at the same time.

Without warning the mechanical man was hurrying to his feet, attempting to stand in a sudden haste that reminded Belle just how fast he was. Before he managed to get far he froze and emitted an odd sound, a mixture of a cry and a gasp, that made Belle scramble to her knees out of fear he was having another 'fault'. Something caught her eyes though-his wires. He had cried out because the wires from his body and beneath his coat were still intertwined in the outlet. 

Rumplestiltskin looked rather embarrassed about it when he realized it too. If his giant flickering eyes and parted jaw weren't a sign then his whole shy stance betrayed him even if his scaly cheeks could not darken or blush.

“Oh! Hold on, I’ll help get them out for you.” Belle knew very well that her own cheeks could blush with how they burned when she reached over and tugged his wires free from the outlets maw. As soon as they were free the bits of machinery squirmed straight out from her fingers, making the night guard emit a warbled yelp, and whirled right over the machines back. In just two seconds notice they had disappeared beneath the collar of his hide like coat, leaving Belle to raise a confused brow at this unique man shaped contraption.

“I seemed to have forgot about our deal there a moment. You’ll have to forgive me little knight, my mind tends to wander off some-ome-times.” Rumplestiltskin tittered in his trickster like persona before twirling on his feet to face her with another grin distorted by his hinged jaw. “Now that you know where the ladders are I’m sure you’ll be fine to finish your task, and I’ll leave you alone as agreed! You won't have to see anymore of me.”

'That's it? After all we've shared and bared with each other tonight? He's going to leave and make things go back to the way they've been...' Belle thought to herself as she rose up from the dusty floor in a hurried motion to catch up with him.

It was clear now, after their heart to metal parts, that he was trying to flee from her so he couldn't 'bother' her or 'frighten her further' as he so believed he would. It was more so that than him wanting her to leave him alone since he never once asked that of her. The tiny slivers of happiness and eagerness he'd worn as they talked and walked hadn't been masked well enough either. Belle had seen each one bloom to life in a lifeless creature and had treasured them all.

Maybe he'd come to regret making their deal the same as she was growing to with each passing second.

“Rumplestiltskin!” Belle called out at his retreating form-the young woman couldn't help herself. She didn't want the mechanical man to stroll away after finally connecting with him and seeing the loneliness hidden inside that reflected her own she'd denied for too long.

Rumplestiltskin stilled in his scuffed boots for a few seconds before he finally turned back to face her. With the stage lights streaming from above his entire metal form and leathery clothing was splashed in a palette of colors. Hues of green, blue, red, and magenta danced across his golden skin, causing the bumps and scales that spread across his body to glisten and sparkle brilliantly. In that moment... The animatronic looked magical-like a true sorcerer thrusted into the normalcy of her world, and it left the stunned human lost for words.

He was awaiting her to say something as his vibrant gaze locked onto her own, and yet all her previous elegance was lost to this enchanting sight before her. “You don’t have to go...”

The imp just looked at her with that same look again, nothing but confusion and befuddlement dappling his aged features. “B-But what about our deal? You said you wanted to stay out of my way and asked that I would yours... Isn't that what you want?”

“I know what I said at the time sounded like that, but that's not what I meant-not anymore at least." She admitted before biting her lip a moment in further thought. "Can't we modify this deal someway if we're both unhappy with it? I don’t want you to have to hide or try to avoid me when I’m working my shift.”

"But-But... Surely you do not..." He mumbled with his head bent over, flittering his plated hands slowly in front of himself as if to draw back attention to his 'unnatural' form. Yes, he was quite 'unique' in every single regard, between his body and his apparent consciousness, but Belle was not repelled by it-only drawn to it, though by what she did not know.

Belle just shook her head and gave a reassuring smile as the floorboards creaked under her approaching footsteps. “I-I don't mind your company at all if that's what you're worried about. It's pretty quiet here and your presence nearby is honestly soothing to me. Of course this offer is only if you would like to.” 

“I guess a little so-social in-tera-teraction wouldn’t be harmful, and it has been quite sometime.” Rumplestiltskin giggled brokenly in that loud silly manner of his. Yet, there was that grin quivering on his faux lips that told her that maybe he was truly ‘happy’ with this simple offer of companionship. “Only if having me being… _Near,_ truly doesn’t bother you. After all I can’t have you fainting from fright and not doing your job!”

“You don’t have to worry about that.” The beauty laughed herself, and once again she was standing before the mechanical man without a care or fear lurking in her heart. “I promise this so long as you don’t sneak up on me or play a nasty trick. Besides, I could use some help carrying that big ladder back to the bathroom.”

“Now I see how it is! Using the beast to do all the hard work, very well then.” Rumplestiltskin sighed playfully on another gush of air from the parts in his throat. "The knight and the sorcerer will have a new truce at this time.”

—————

Belle thought Rumplestiltskin might have been joking around when she asked him to help her out and he had readily agreed, but the animatronic, as he claimed to always do, kept to his word.

With inhuman ease he'd carried the collapsable ladder out of storage and back with them to the employees bathroom as if it weighed nothing at all. Belle, on the other hand, could only follow after him and watch in awe, marveling at how a machine so thin and small could have such strength. The surprises continued when he had swiftly offered to help her replace the light bulb when they returned. The kind open gesture, a means for him to keep by perhaps, was something she couldn't refuse.

This go around there were no accidents or falling into anyone's arms, though the embarrassment from earlier still lingered each time they caught the other's gaze. Even when the task had been completed, with the new lightbulb burning brightly down upon them both, Rumplestiltskin stayed with the security guard to help her clean up the remaining mess. Allowing Belle to proudly show him she knew where the broom and dust pan were kept without his assistance.

It didn't take the two of them long to finish up with all these things, and they soon found themselves walking towards her office side by side before they knew it. There was an awkward silence that settled in between them after they left the backstage, but it wasn't uncomfortable in Belle’s opinion. In fact, the quiet space and small glances felt natural with how little she knew of her acquaintance and he of her. Maybe that too would change like so much else was changing already tonight, and the young woman couldn't stop herself from smiling in delight at that thought.

However, her curiosity was overflowing with a flood of questions to ask her strange 'companion' at this point too.

“That thing you did with the stage lights earlier was pretty cool... How exactly did you do all that by the way?” Belle asked out of the blue, and the words echoed along with their 'clacking' and 'pattering' footsteps down the hall. Despite the fact that Rumplestiltskin was staring on straight ahead, looking near the soulless animatronic he first appeared to be, she knew the creaking and whirring animatronic beside her was listening.

“Why that’s another secret of mine.” He impishly replied as he continued to stare and knead a set of fingers near his chest. “And a good magician never reveals their secrets.”

“You’re no fun... If you're the only person I get to talk with during these six hours can't I at least know you? ” Belle inquired in mild disappointment, and though she hoped he would change his mind the quiet lingered as he choose to remain elusive.

“I suppose I could tell you all my secrets, but... Perhaps you just want to know the monster's weaknesses!” Rumplestiltskin abruptly taunted when he tilted his head towards her to smirk and flaunt a clawed finger near her face repeatedly. Belle just brushed his finger aside to arch another brow at him when they both came to a stop right outside her office door. The 'monster' didn't seem so disappointed at her refusal to play along as he continued to chirp in that high pitched voice of his. "You know I can answer all those insistent questions of yours if you desire, but only for a price of course!"

Belle pouted further at that while Rumplestiltskin just looked amused with his own antics.

Well, two could play that game.

“If that is the way you're going to be then this noble knight will just have to outwit the clever sorcerer and get the answers all by herself! I can't imagine it will be all that difficult.” Belle mused out loud in a thin veil of showy heroism before she brushed against his coat and past him into her cozy office. With determination brimming in her heart the security guard sat herself down in her chair and then swiveled to properly face her opponent. Maybe with a bit more of coaxing and talking she could unravel the layers about Rumplestiltskin with time, but deep down that wasn't all that Belle was after as she soon found out.

He was hidden in the darkness of the doorway again, refusing to cross that threshold into the light to join her. Belle's previous smile faltered at her flush lips when she realized that the fidgeting machine still had no intention of entering her office.

“I-I…” Rumplestiltskin stuttered as he curled a segmented hand around the door frame which was the only bit of him exposed besides his glowing eyes. “I will be awaiting for your feeble attempts then ungraceful knight, so try all you like...”

“You can stay if you want to Rumplestiltskin.” Belle gently reminded him to push aside any of his doubts. Yet, the constant flickering of his eyes gave away the anxiety that his shadowed sudden form couldn't. "And you don't need to stay out in the hallway, there's plenty of room in here for you too."

“Ah, I'd love stay and pester you further, but... I-I haven’t finished my run of the build-uild-ing-so I’ve much to do tonight.”

This ‘run’ is left quite unexplained and could possibly be just an excuse, but the security guards decides against pushing further about it. They're both still quite foreign to one another, and she has no intentions of making him feel uncomfortable nor disregarding his boundaries. Yet, she's surprised at how easy going they have been tonight compared to their unpleasant first meeting and the slightly better one after. It prides her that she’s no longer fretful or fearful of the mechanical man, except for the fits he had earlier, and for that he seems more keen to approaching her and opening up in return.

“If you try to do anything dangerous again while I'm gone now is the time to warn me beforehand. That way I won’t have to accidentally stumble upon your corpse if the worse were to occur, dearie.” Rumplestiltskin snorted, like the mere idea was completely bothersome, and Belle could only roll her eyes at him.

“Of course, I have enough manners to do that, though I’m quite done indulging my dangerous side tonight. But if you're leaving then... Have a good rest of your night, Rumplestiltskin. Just incase I don't see you before I leave.”

His lips twitched at that, as if he wanted to say more, but he leaned away from the door instead. With an eerie clatter his golden-green clawed fingers slid into the darkness from the edge of the doorframe and disappeared as his loud foot steps began.

Clack. Clack. Clack.

Belle sat back in her cushioned seat, grinning a moment when she could still hear his faint movements, before turning to her desk and eyeing the tablet. Her innate curiosity was bubbling back at the sight of it, making her reach over and snatch it up to test her growing theories. Just as she had suspected the security guard couldn't find any trace of the animatronic wandering down the hall where a set camera should have caught him on the video feed buzzing beneath the screen. It was just another illusion he somehow crafted to trick everyone, especially the night guard, but it was one that made the all the theories and rumors of ghosts Ruby mentioned before more understandable to the young woman.

'I’ll figure out your ‘magic tricks' you sneaky sorcerer.’ Belle challenged to herself when she set the tablet back down and adjusted her visor. For the rest of the night she would simply wait and go about her shift as normal, but tomorrow she would begin her plans to discover what she could about her one of a kind companion.

Though before then, as the beauty reached into her bag and pulled out the novel she was currently reading, she would uncover the mystery that lay right between her fingers and its printed pages.

—————

Eventually time moved forward, as slow as it might be in such conditions, and six in the morning neared on the hanging clock's steadfast hands.

Yet, what surprised Belle was not the time that had past with her head literally spent buried in a book but finding Rumplestiltskin headed back down the hall towards her door. It was his clacking boots against the shiny tiled floor that aroused her from her semi sleepy state and informed her of his return, giving her ample time to quickly sit upright and comb back her frazzled hair. There was no way she was going to suffer the humiliation of being caught ‘asleep’ again after she had promised him she wouldn't.

Not that she really was this time-she had been merely resting her... Face just a moment.

Several seconds of this went by before the hallway suddenly grew silent right by her door, but a certain someone refused to appear, causing the beauty to quietly sigh to herself. “Did your run of the building go well out there?” Belle inquired out to the doorway as she picked up and closed her recently finished book with a satisfactory ‘thump’. "I'm also very much alive and unharmed if you were curious."

Rumplestiltskin’s face emerged from around the corner then and into the beauty's range of vision, peering at her with his wide alien eyes and distorted features. This same sight of him had once made her curl up into her chair and nearly scream out-loud in fright not too long ago. Now Belle could only feel a smile forming at the warm amber gaze directed towards her clear blue and the urge to draw him within the space she called hers.

“Yes, I didn't find any issues or trouble-ble-some pests trying to barge in, but it pleases me to know you've not met a grim fate, dearie.” The animatronic hummed with pride as the young woman chuckled a bit before she began putting away her few things and grabbing her jacket. Though she had to stop and immediately whirl back to Rumplestiltskin when he made an odd crackled sound as if startled. “Oh-it’s six already? I suppose I lost track of the time there…”

Rumplestiltskin frowned at the ticking clock with half lidded eyes almost as if he was trying to will it to turn its hands backwards.

Belle noticed all of this and allowed her worry to fade and the lingering curiosity to take over as she spoke. “This place is empty after I leave but then Marco says he's usually here right at seven... So you only have about an hour left to enjoy yourself, but what do you normally do when you’ve finished with your ‘runs’ about Avonlea?”

“There’s really not much for something like me to do around here. Mostly I just protect this place from intruders and make sure the building is neat and ready for the daytime crew...” As the soft words spilled out he immediately seemed to be shocked that he's said anything at all, and he swiftly returns to being the snarly beast. “Don't worry about me though! I keep myself plenty entertained with torment-ment-ing you humans from afar! Hee hee!” A wicked laugh, still incomplete, rattled from his plated throat as if to keep her at bay.

It only made the beauty curl her fingers tighter around the book clutched in her hands.

“Do you read?”

“What?” The scaly machine blinked at her question while the tiny human continued to discretely observe him. Just as she was hoping it would her question was luring him into the dim light and away from his protective hold of shadows. In a few small steps he was no longer behind the door frame but moving into the space of her office alongside her, clearly becoming curious of her sudden interest with him. “Of course I know how to read. I run on coding and programing which requires it for me to even operate.”

“What I actually meant to ask you was do you like to read? I just finished reading this excellent story a while ago and thought you might like to borrow it.” Belle explained and extended the hard back novel out towards him without hesitation. Anyone else watching this scene, even if they had never met this unique being before, would have been able to see the pure surprise radiating from every scrap of him as his artificial eyelids retreated into his head and the glowing orbs below pinned onto the book.

“You would let me borr-row-ow this?” Rumplestiltskin asked, hunching towards the binding of papers with almost a form of reverence.

“Of course I would-I know that I can trust you to take good care of it.” Belle informed him as the imp grabbed the proffered book gently and held it in his grasp as if it was going to fall to pieces at any given moment. “It’s a mystery thriller by the way, you’ll have to tell me if you enjoy it or not when you're done. I read all sorts of genre’s so if you don’t like it I’m sure I can find you something else to fit your tastes. As you probably already know reading is one of my favorite things to do.”

“Oh, I can believe that since you were once such a tiny b-book worm, but... Uh… T-T-hank you, I'll start on it right away.” He stuttered with a shy smile tugged at one corner of his mouth, peering back up at her with his large eyes that looked to nearly be shining with emotion.

“It's no problem, take your time.” She’s practically beaming when she replied, and it's because of the way the book seemed to have him stand there at a complete loss. No normal person had ever given such a response to Belle's literary offers or gifts, but hopefully this will do its job and he’ll be entertained when he’s stuck in his hideaway while Avonlea opens up. Deep down she hoped it will help him for she couldn't imagine how to cope with being trapped somewhere alone with nothing to do for hours on end, day after day... She’d have long gone crazy if that were the case.

The thought makes her a bit sad in what is supposed to be such a lighthearted moment, because what sounded like such a terrible reality that seemed unlikely to ever be was far more likely than one would think.

She was brought back to the present though when the ticking clock loudly chimed that it was six in the morning and that the night guard was falling behind on getting herself up and out of Avonlea.

“Dang, I’ve got to get going! I’ve got to work today at my other job as well some errands to run, and before all that I've got to get myself some shut e-eyeee...” Belle was attempting to explain all that just when a yawn decided to escape her at that very moment. The strangled sound made her do a combination of laughing and yawning all at once even though she attempted to cover her mouth.

“I was about to say you defin-fin-itely could use some rest, but I think that you said it far better than I could.” The animatronic standing before her teased, and his silly pitched voice made her smile crinkle all the way to her eyes.

So as Belle continued on getting ready to leave, throwing on her jacket and grabbing her bag, she failed to notice how her odd companion remained by her side. It wasn't until she was flicking off the office's light switch and stepping out into the hall that she realized Rumplestiltskin lingered. Her face lit up with surprise again at the undeniable fact he didn't want to run or hide from her presence but wanted to stay with her even now. It pleased her more than she could properly describe for the the glow of his mechanical eyes was comforting in the bleak darkness surrounding them.

Together they ambled towards the back door, chatting a tiny bit more about the building and the book in the imps hands before they reached their destination around the corner. When they could no longer stand side by side, as Belle had neared the back door and the mechanical man remained a few steps behind, she turned around to him one last time. Yet, the awkward silence had returned, causing them both to fumble for words till Belle managed to form something to say.

"I'm off till next shift, but have a good night-or morning... I’m not sure what it's supposed to be anymore.” Belle laughed again, feeling a bit too tired and whimsical to make sense of her upside down thoughts.

“I’ll be in sleep mode myself very soon and since you are going to bed as well, I guess it’s… Simply good night?” The machine sounded unsure of his own answer before he tilted his head full of wiry hair in amusement.

“Good night then Rumplestiltskin.” Belle nodded in reply and upon a whim gave a small playful bow in the imaginary gown she wore in place of her simple uniform.

“Good night, dearie.” The imp returned the favor, but this bow was more elegant than his previous mocking one and rather charming in Belle's opinion.

They were forced to part ways when she stepped outside and he slunk back into the dark belly of Avonlea. Then after closing the door, turning a knob, and twisting a key, the two worlds were completely separated once more, leaving both human and machine on opposite sides.

Even though making sure the back door was locked up tight was a normal part of her routine Belle couldn't help but wonder then why her hand had remained on the door knob just a bit longer than she meant it to be. Regardless, the beauty let go and beamed to herself just as the sun's beams were creeping across the trees and grass, lighting up the world around her and biting back the nights cold hold.

Her heart was fluttering with joy and couldn't be contained for there had been some major progress made between her mechanical acquaintance and herself. Just like the nights before she was looking forward to her next week working at Avonlea. But more than that she couldn't wait for her next week to get to know Rumplestiltskin even better. Though her life was not the exciting adventure she had hoped it would be never had she predicted herself becoming acquainted or maybe even becoming friends with a conscious animatronic man with thoughts, desires, and feelings like her own.

'Friends? Would Rumplestiltskin ever want to be friends with me? He seems pretty lonely, like he needs one, but I don't know...'

Whatever might happen in the future Belle wished the two of them could be just that. For now she was determined more than ever to peel back the layers of wires and plates that made up Rumplestiltskin and uncover the deepening mysteries of his past along with Avonlea's.

And to add to her growing surprise that dawning morning Belle found Rumplestiltskin standing at the break room window once again when she glanced back to Avonlea from her car.

Together they waved to each other as she left and unknowingly sparked another bit of hope between them both.


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> On a Sunday morning Belle is approached by a young boy who claims to know she’s working to keep a big mysterious thing at Avonlea a secret. Though his words might be true-yet not what he thinks, the young man with his operation cobra sparks an idea within the security guards mind. Yes perhaps she can find out the secrets of Rumplestiltskin all on her own.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 12/03/15- Chapter Seven first-revision completed.

The Sunday morning following Belle’s eventful last shift at Avonlea for the week arrived with the dawning sun creeping up over the horizon.

While most of the town's citizens were still lying in bed and lazily enjoying their remaining day before the work week the auburn haired beauty was already up, dressed, and out the front door of her apartment. Her short white heels pattered against the sidewalk as she strolled through down town Storybrooke and peered into the darkened windows of its closed shops. There were still many stores in town she'd yet to visit-or revisit with her abrupt return, places such as the new pet shop, the downtown art galleries from local artists, and even the misleadingly titled pawnshop. They would all have to wait though, the beauty was out and about today with one goal in mind, having traded her bow tie and uniform for a blouse and line skirt.

A wide smile couldn't help but find its way on her face as she breathed in the fresh air and felt the sun against her skin. The walk over from her little apartment above the library to the best diner in town was helping her already peaked appetite grow. Every Sunday now since moving back she'd been treating herself to her favorite breakfast at Granny's. Belle had to admit to herself though that she was more than just eager about delicious pancakes and bacon being served up.

Instead the giddiness filling each and every one of her steps was from the weathered book resting snug within her arms.

It didn't take long at Belle to arrive right at the building slightly consumed with the overgrowth of winding plants down its brick work. From the windows she could tell the place was already busy with patrons so she could only hope she would be able to snag a good seat still. The door jangled open upon her push, and Ms. French tip toed inside, lighting up when she spotted an empty stool right at the bar. Quickly she plopped herself down and ordered her usual breakfast, but as she waited patiently for her food and opened her book she couldn't help but glance around.

Belle noticed the local handyman and town gruff Leroy and his 'friends' were crowded at one end of the bar (she was pretty sure they were friends, though it was hard to tell if Leroy considered anyone his friend). At the other end sat Archie Hopper the town’s only psychiatrist who she happened to know was a lifelong friend of Mr. Getto’s. There were quite a few people she didn't recognize spotted about and some vaguely familiar faces, but with all the patrons seated around clamoring for good food and company the ringing chatter was quite loud. That didn't stop the beauty from reading line after line of her book as if she was the only one in her quiet little world.

'When two external gears mesh, they always turn in opposite directions. You can make them turn in the same direction by placing an idler gear between the two...' Belle took note of that in her small compact book she'd brought along as well before flipping back to where she left off. Already the tiny lines of the notebook were being filled up with her cramped writing where she made references to a certain mechanical specifics and unknown terminology.

“Let's see what's on 'Belle's Best Reads' list today.” Ruby’s voice suddenly breached the bookworm's little bubble with a ‘pop’, and she pulled back from delving further into the advance world of a third class lever. The security guard was greeted with the sight of Ruby leaning on the counter and quirking a brow with more scrutiny than interest at her and the aforementioned book. “Basic Machines and How They Work.... Ah-and you have notes too. Please don’t tell me you’re planning on becoming an engineer all of a sudden.”

Belle shook her head while fighting back an ugly laugh. The scantily clad waitress peering at her sounded as if she was becoming worried of what such a goal would entail. “No, not at all-I’m just trying to learn some basic robotics more or less.”

“Robotics.” Her voice carried through the room despite the clatter of cutlery scraping against plates and gabbing going on in the background. “Now this new interest for you wouldn't be because of a certain crazy robot heaven like Avonlea, would it?”

Belle sipped some of her hot breakfast tea before glancing up. “Perhaps, just a little bit.”

Ruby simply stared back as her quirked brow rose higher, clearly not buying what she was selling.

“Okay, so it's more than just a smidgen of the reason why.” Belle said while half heartedly shrugging since she felt bit embarrassed at how easy she was to read when she was excited about something. “To be honest I'm fascinated with the animatronics there, and things like how they operate and work is becoming super interesting to me. I want to see if it's possible that I could even help Mr. Getto out someday with repairing them if need be, but unfortunately you got to start off with the basics on these things.”

It was then the wolf girl grinned, bearing her white teeth in a playful smirk. “Well if anyone in this entire town can start off with a book like ‘Basic Machines’ with the intent of building a robot and actually be able to do it, it could only be you.”

"Now, now, I never said I was planning to build one. That's going to require a lot more then just basic machinery text books..."

“If you change your mind and start taking pre-orders I’ll take about two.” Granny herself suddenly pipped in as she appeared from from behind Ruby while holding a pot of coffee out for the waitress to take, seeing as the patiently waiting Dr. Hopper down the line needed a refill. “I’ll need one for me so I can finally retire and the other one for this one here.” The older woman pointed at her granddaughter, looking at Belle over her glasses with the slightest shimmer of amusement in her eyes. “That way things can actually get done right around here-the machine should be able to keep accounts at least.”

“It's not like you need a robot replacement, you’re basically the sixty year old version of the terminator.” Ruby snorted in response as she snatched the coffee pot, and Belle could only shake her head to keep another laugh at bay as the taller girl bounded happily over to Mr. Hopper (who seemed to turn a bit more red than usual when Ruby shot another wide grin his way).

“I promise you’ll be the first person on my list for my apparently new robotics business-after my dad of course.” Belle quickly added at the end to Granny as she passed by, and the beauty swore she saw the older woman give a twitch of a smile.

With Ruby looking to being occupied for quite some time Belle returned to her reading, only moving ever so slightly when the couple sitting next to her departed and left a grand bit of space for her to freely acquire. As time spun on the remaining bit of syrup soaked pancakes she had on her plate got nudged to the side and went unnoticed as her book became the center of her focus. Her determined mind was now only hungry for knowledge, and hopefully she would gain some fraction of information from this book that would be useful to her.

But really...  She wanted to learn things that would be useful for her to help her new strange acquaintance, Rumplestiltskin.

‘Even if I don't learn anything from this book that I can use I’ll find a way to help him-surely.’ Belle repeated internally as she continued on, stopping to sip at her cooling tea here and there. Despite having having worked hard, having earned a library science degree as well as a certified training course in being a security guard, she wasn’t quite so sure of herself being able to figure out how to even help the mechanical man replace a frayed wire. Yet the young woman wasn’t going to stop at the first sign of doubt-not until she tried all of her available resources first. Beating within her chest her heart sung-it was fully committed to getting him some form of aid, and if no one else could ever help him or know about his existence then it was up to her.

Wether or not he accepted her help was an entirely different issue Belle was pretty much unsure about. Upon their first meeting the somewhat startling animatronic seemed absolutely keen on the idea of having nothing to do with her and she with him, and though now he seemed to want her around and to be around her it didn't mean he was open to her trying to assist him. She couldn't blame him-he'd been dealing with his own problems for decades now without any one to care for him or keep him company. It was understandable he kept her at bay and refused to let her know more about him, but Belle found she wanted to understand him with each passing night-she wanted to peel away the mysteries he was wrapped in amongst the buildings shadows that kept him hidden.

If only he'd let her, but so far...

“Excuse me.”

Belle blinked for a moment upon hearing such an unfamiliar voice ring out loud, almost as if to her, amongst the chatter of the diner. Swiftly she swiveled upon her stool to her right and found herself looking down at a small boy sitting next to her. As if he'd been expecting her he looked up at her with a wide smile and interest shining in those bright brown eyes of his.

“Were you talking to me?” Belle asked, wearing her confusion slightly upon her fair features while she studied the child over to see if he seemed any what familiar. Over all he was dressed rather formally, sporting a collard shirt sticking up over a sweater, with higher quality clothes than most kids had as well as a fancy backpack hanging off of his person. Yet, as hard as she tried, she didn't recognize him, which made this situation all the more confusing since he seemed to know her well enough.

“You don’t know me cause we've never met before, but I know who you are. You’re the person who works over at Avonlea right now as the security guard.” He whispered to her with one hand cupped over his mouth as if this open information he shared was top secret, but Belle found herself instantly liking this new face and so she decided to play along.

Leaning in closer to him the beauty darted her clear blue eyes around before she whispered back in reply. “How did you figure me out? That information is top secret-are you some kind of detective or spy perhaps?”

“You could say that.” He smirked, and Belle found she was already growing quite fond of this child. “I heard from my sources they had hired a person to guard Avonlea at night again who hasn't run off or up and quit. If you're still the night guard then there really must be some big secret they’re trying to keep hidden.”

“Perhaps there is.” Belle softly said, instantly thinking to her stowaway mechanical companion and where ever he was within Avonlea's walls during the daytime. Yes, it was beyond bizarre, but only a child could guess at the actual truth that there was big secret hidden there indeed. “It’s classified information so I can't say anything more about it-sorry, you know the rules.”

“No way-so I was right!” The brown haired boy exclaimed far too loud, and Belle noticed Leroy and his friends stare a moment their direction when she glanced his way apologetically. “Oops sorry, you must be out undercover and I'm probably causing too much of a scene.” He said in a lower tone, looking at her sheepishly.

"The name’s Belle French, my street name at least. And you might be?”

“I’m Henry… Henry _Mills_.” Despite having been just as cheery as can be a mere moment ago he said his last name as if it was something far from pleasant, and Belle was sure she knew why without even asking. The only local ‘Mills’ she had heard enough about was a woman named Regina Mills-the mayor of Storybrooke whom Belle thought she'd also heard had a kid of her own. Regina had been the mayor of the sleepy town for a long, long time now, even when Belle had been in highschool the woman had been in office. Belle and her had never crossed paths of any noticeable degree, which apparently was a good thing since so many people over the years had whispered about the unfavorable mayor being a cold and sometimes cruel hearted person beneath her beautiful appearance. Even Belle’s own father, a non native of Storybrooke, had gripped and complained that Ms. Mills seemed to have her hand in everything around the town and with her tightly kept position got what she wanted regardless.

Despite hearing all this though Belle refused to allow herself to be too quick to judge someone she never really met. After all Regina was a human being just the same as everyone else, she’d give Ms. Mills a chance-if they ever happened to meet…

But Belle couldn't lie that she wouldn’t be too disappointed if they never did.

Quickly her thoughts returned to the small and clearly kind young boy looking up at her, and she was sure that with such a sweet kid the mayor couldn't be all that bad. "Well, it’s a pleasure to met you Henry." Belle said, before quieting a moment as her maternal instincts kicked in. It didn't go past her head that it looked like the small boy was at Granny’s all by himself since no adult seemed to be lingering by. "Can I ask you something? What are you doing out about town all by yourself?"

"That's classified information." He informed her, giving the young woman a sturdy nod as if such an answer required no further questions. "But I can say that I’m on an important intel operation with my mom at the moment. We're meeting up so we can investigate further."

Regina going on an ‘important intel operation’ with her son? Surprised at this turn of events Belle had to let herself process that imagery since it didn't match up at all with what everyone always went on about.

"Henry?" Another unfamiliar voice rung out against the diner's sounds starting to whittle away that morning, and it made Belle lean back on he stool to look over the boy to see someone standing near the door. Even though they'd only met briefly before Belle recognized who it was-sure enough it was the woman from the police department that had been talking with Graham the day she'd been looking to find Cooper Wulf. The stranger looked less tired and ragged than that afternoon with her pretty blonde curls coiled neatly around her face, her green eyes wide and alert, and her red leather jacket looking fitted around her fit frame.

"Hey there kid, you said we needed to talk?" She approached the bar where they sat, but stopped when she noticed Belle sitting there, giving her a tiny nod with a casual smile. "I've seen you around before, you’re that security guard- Ms. French right? You stopped by at the police station that one day when I was... Dealing with Officer Humbert."

Without warning Henry spoke up before the tiny security guard could manage a syllable, all while beaming up at the blonde haired woman. “Yup! She’s working there to cover up some big secret Mr. Getto has going on. Oh, I'm sorry Belle, this is my mom-I mean Emma!”

'Wait-that's his _mom_? But I thought he was the mayors son, and I've seen Regina before so...' The whirling going on inside Belle's mind was nearly audible, but there was no denying the similarities in the two's faces and person though when she looked at them closer. With a slight shake of her head Belle sighed upon the realization that perhaps there as quite a bit more going on in the small town of Storybrooke than she previously thought.

"Emma Swan." The woman seemed to pause after her introduction, and there was an unmistakable sheen of emotion flickering across her eyes before she spoke up again. "I'm... I’m his biological mother. Regina Mills is his adoptive mother, it's all confusing I know." Ah-that made sense, and was far less confusing than her previous thoughts, though it made her ever more curious about this new face and the small boy eagerly jumping off his stool.

"Well, even if it's confusing it's still nice to meet you both." Belle smiled a bit nervously. It'd been a long time since she'd been the center of attention which was an unusual situation on her part-she was far more used to slipping into the background and going unnoticed. Yet, it'd been so long since she'd had the chance to make a new friend, especially with moving back, perhaps this secondary meeting was not something solely by chance.

“I hate to break up you getting to inform random citizens of your operations kid, but we’ve got to get going. We can talk as I drive but if we don't get you home your mom is going to have an entire cow." Emma told the kid (he was her kid but Belle could read through the lines and wasn't sure if that would be quite accurate with how Emma reacted) while she tilted her head in the direction of diner's door. A flicker of disappointment crossed his features but Henry whirled himself back towards Belle with a small smile.

"I hope we can meet each other again, I've got so many questions about Avonlea. By the way I go there all the time for their arcade and pizza-so maybe we’ll cross paths again fellow secret agent." Henry leaned in to whisper yet again before darting for the door, slipping past it, and heading towards an old yellow bug parked on the other side of the road that Belle could see from the windows.

"Oh no, he's calling you a secret agent?" Emma muttered after he left, having easily caught an ear full of her son's-the kid's whispering. "And here I thought you were a normal oll' security guard-then again nothing is quite so normal in this town." Her tone was a bit sarcastic but playful at the same time from the way she stated it, and Belle laughed softly again at the mere idea of being anything as dramatic as that.

“That’s right-I just keep an eye on an empty big building five nights a week. Though it seems your-I mean Henry, is quite keen on this whole spy or secret agent idea idea."

Emma's mouth twitched into a real smile, the second one Belle's managed to entice today which warmed her heat as always. “I’ve no idea where this obsession with code names and operations has come from, but I'm sorry if he inquired too much into anything. He's talked a lot about Avonlea in the short time I've gotten to know him... So you probably impressed him since I've heard the rumors that no one sticks around to work that job.”

"He's not bothering me at all, and he's not actually completely wrong about what I do. There are more secrets within Avonlea than one could imagine." The beauty gave a hint of a sly grin, one that made her new acquaintance appear momentarily befuddled by which Belle had to secretly chuckle to herself at. Emma appeared to want to ask, even she appeared to have the innate curiosity that everyone else felt for the town's strange pizzeria, but before she could the bug outside honked loudly, distracting her entirely.

"I better get going before he goes on with this operation cobra of his without me, or before Ms. Mills kills me for being a minute late. It was nice to meet you again Ms. French." Emma said while taking her leave and exiting through the door which jingled upon her departure. The dinner returned to normal after that, with Belle left sitting at her stool with her book spread open on the countertop as if the exchange had never happened, however she'd long lost just where she left off reading.

As she grabbed her book and slipped her notes into its pages to mark her spot she couldn't help but think over the silly ideas the boy had shared. ‘Me-a spy? As dramatic and romantic as such a job sounds I think that even more beyond me than becoming a mechanical engineer, and they sure don't make books for that.’ Yet...

It suddenly gave Belle an idea.

The young woman quickly tucked her book into her purse, downed the rest of her tea which had gone rather cold, and managed to get Ruby's attention with a wave as she flew off her bar stool. Once again the warm embrace of the sun brushed across her after she strode out of Granny’s, darting down the sidewalk to make it back to her apartment while she began to concoct her forming plan. Already Belle was awaiting tomorrow night with more eagerness than she ever had before-for now it seemed she had her own way to begin to peel back the secrets of Avonlea even she was not privy to.

'Soon I'll do it.' Belle gushed to herself, wearing a uncontainable smile that crinkled her eyes and pushed up against her cheeks. 'This knight will soon outwit the sorcerer!'

—————

Through the dark room filled with empty tables and unoccupied chairs it rose, the soft building sound-electronic and yet nearly human in its lilt.

_“Hhmmmm-hmmm-HhHhHhh-hmmmmm-hm-hmmmm-hmmm!”_

Following it one could find the sound was coming from none other than the wandering machine named Rumplestiltskin who was humming out loud the small tune though he didn't know the name of it.

Even without knowing its name, if this melody had such a thing, the animatronic shambling through the darkness knew it was a strange song. Deep within his programming and code he was sure with what little information he had that it was a broken song-a depressing song. It was a song he could tell there should've been words with its notes, and he had a feeling that he was the only one who knew them. Yet... He didn't know them or he simply couldn't remember them-an uncommon thing for his photogenic memory banks.

Strange, yes, it was very strange indeed.

Without warning Rumplestiltskin cut his humming short when he noticed one of the nearing arcade machines not in its usual condition. His glowing unblinking eyes caught the briefest hint of the unplugged cord to the game ‘Prop Cycle’, which must have accidentally been jostled from the main outlet during the daytime hours. He quickly fixed the issue before resuming his stroll through Avonlea, though his eyes continuously flickered about in search of more out of place things while his humming began again. The heels of his boots 'clacked' against the ground while he made his way through the double doors leading to the back hall, but it was the sight of the security office door on his right that broke his automated routine.

“Ah! It's nearly twelve in the morning, so that means Belle will be here soon.” He thought to himself, however it was not so much thinking as the words actually came tumbling out of his mouth-a habit formed by too many years of isolation. “I can’t wait to ask her about the book she lent me, but then again would I be too forward in doing so? Perhaps she only gave it to me to distract me and keep me at bay-perhaps she’s thinking I won't pay atten-ten-tion if she's up to no good! N-No… That's wrong, I know that’s not like her-she's far too _noble_ … Then again she hasn’t been very… Chatty with me lately.”

The poor mechanical man stopped in place as he continued to talk to the empty building, feeling quite conflicted still over Avonlea's new security guard despite her good hearted nature and determination to stick around. He had no idea why she decided to remain the night guard and work what most people called an unfortunate job, nor did he have the slightest inkling why she made the deal with him. He didn't even know why she hadn't recoiled from him in fear like every other human had in his existence in the first place. Belle wasn't like the other humans though, and from the short time knowing her as an adult he could tell.

But ever since...

In an instant memories of years past flickered to life within the chips and processors of his mind. He could recall images of a smaller much tinnier girl with those same flowing auburn locks and blue eyes peering about in curiosity. Even as his own amber alien eyes gazed at the blank slate of the concrete wall he saw perfectly those days spent long ago in the height of summer, seeing the lonely looking child hide away in plain daylight like he did in darkness with only the comfort from the stories she read.

Rumplestiltskin recollected all that just the same, and even more so he recollected that one night. That unexpected night... The one which had been the last time that quiet little girl ever came to Avonlea...

Till now.

“Why... Why does she always come back?” The scaly machine asked in confusion to the nothingness surrounding him, but its ringing silence made him quickly pull his thoughts away and begin to walk again. “No good-no good. It’s not my business why she stays or why she has re-tur-turned. Besides, she’ll be long gone from here at the end of the year anyways, and then she’ll never come back just like the others.” It was strange, but at that thought-er, words as he realized his quirk had slipped past him, an uncomfortable sensation shot through the wires inside of his chest.

In about ten minutes it would be midnight, and as routine that meant Belle would be through the door two minutes ahead of time as she consistently did these last three and a half weeks. Knowing there was a routine brought a sense of calm back to Rumplestiltskin, but his mouth remained pinched together in a tense line. How long would such a routine last? Especially with how strange this already rather odd night guard had been behaving these last three nights...

It was just one of the many reasons why he was so nervous to approach the back door as he continued to linger down the hallway out of sight in the pitch black shadows. Somehow the imp was sure the human was already wanting nothing to do with him now as she should have been when they first met. Monday through Wednesday he'd hardly seen any of her at all, and she'd barley been in her office like the other guards had during each shift. At first he thought that perhaps she was just getting bored of sitting around and was just wandering to pass the trickling hours. Yet, when he had attempted to ‘conveniently’ slip in her path (which was to keep an eye on her and make sure she wasn’t trying to get herself killed again-not that he cared-really) she would conveniently change course, skirting right around him. Round and around the two of them went while he tried to find some excuse or means-any at all, to stumble into her.

In the end she eluded him at every single hallway corner and every open door.

A short cry of despair nearly spilled from the animatronic's throat as overwhelming 'feelings' began to well up in his metal skull. “I don’t und-erst-erstand. What am I doing wrong to drive her away-I thought that she was okay with me being near her! After what she said, I thought that she wanted me-” Rumplestiltskin's frantic voice stopped entirely just as his feet did, and he sensed a strange tingling surge forward into the circuits of his scaly face.

How pitiful-him reduced to acting like this. He’d been alone for so long now, years and years without so much as a word or kind greeting, and now he was practically salivating like animals did over food at just the chance of talking to her a mere moment. 

Grinding his awful looking metal teeth together didn’t help Rumplestiltskin push away the troublesome sparks rippling through his body. Ever since the brave beauty had come along his whole routine had fallen apart and now his very nature so used to silence was wavering. No! He didn’t need to interact with humans nor did he want human contact-he’d been perfectly fine alone for twenty six years and counting! Long ago he'd sworn to never have anything to do with humans again, for his sake and theirs he had chosen to spend the rest of his days without them-but now… Now he wasn't so sure about being able to keep doing what was best thing-the right thing.

Even with his previous vows he couldn't deny himself the fact that he was drawn to this kind, beautiful, living creature. Somehow, someway, she was worming her way in through his very wires, rooting the desire for her presence into his programing, and causing a new strange turn of thoughts along with ‘emotions’ he didn’t understand. That possibility alone made the leather clad being give a broken smile as he tiredly ran a hand over his face.

“I must really be breaking down at this rate... What the hell am I thinking? I’m a machine I can’t-I can’t feel, and if I do it's not like it's real-”

**_'Creeeaak'_ **

Rumplestiltskin tensed in place when he heard the distant sound of a door swinging open, and from where he stood he knew it was the back door. That could only be one person then-Belle had come back, but she was here a bit earlier than normal-well by a minute give or take.

“Drat! I’m behind on schedule now. I could have accident-dent-tally bumped into her at the door so I could maybe talk to her and return the book... Wait! I don't have it on me though-ack!” The machine fumbled his clawed hands about his person, though he knew fully well he didn't have any proper pockets to keep such a well sized book. "No time for that then-I'll just have to accidentally meet her at her office!"

Without wasting any more precious time he began rushing back the other way, past Mr. Getto's office, the maintenance room, and the window to the kiddy playground that showed a brief flicker of the impish machine on its pane. His fluttering hope jumped in volumes since there was still the chance he could stumble into her as he neared the quaint little security office. His mechanical leather clad limbs 'clacked' and 'clattered' loudly to a halt as he slid right to the edge of the door frame. The door had been left part way open, allowing the now turned on light to stream forth from the crack, and so he knew without a doubt that meant Belle was here.

As he peaked inside he saw a familiar jacket resting on the back of the swivel chair and Belle’s bag laying next to the desk, but his timid smile faded when he saw that the flashlight was gone, the tablet turned on in its rest, and the security guard missing altogether.

She was gone once again... Off who knows where in Avonlea without even sticking around to give him a meager… _Hello?_

“D-Dearie?” Rumplestiltskin called out to the hallway when he stepped back into its shadows. It was embarrassing how pathetic his voice sounded when he meant to sound nonchalant as possible, but he couldn't help it. Everything was so confusing now, and all the hope he'd been putting back together was shattering about him with the silence's mocking. “Where are you? I'm... I've finished that book you lent me, so if you come back I'll return your book!" Nothing but the common groaning and creaking of Avonlea's shifting structure echoed back, and it made his metal brows droop on their tracks. "I'll-I'll just leave it on your desk then...”

‘I was right-she’s trying to avoid me now-she wants nothing to do with me! Maybe she's finally realized that I really am a monster! No-no please!’ Rumplestiltskin’s mind was wildly whirling alongside his cogs and gears while his clawed fingers started kneading something invisible between them in an attempt to calm down. “What-What do I do? Should I keep away from her then? Yes-I must-I must stay away if she can't even stand being near me! But what if she gets hurt badly do-ing-ing something foolish again-what will I do then?”

_Pitter patter, pitter patter._

The sound of feet further down the hall caught his immediate attention, drawing him to full height as his eyes flickered about. Without much reason or logic to his act, relying on mechanical instinct, he moved towards the sound. The part of him drawn to the echoes of life fueled him on as he hoped to catch a single glimpse of the security guard who seemed to be purposefully eluding him. Yet, as he rounded the hallway corner leading towards the double doors back into the rest of the building he found no security guard anywhere near by. Past the walls the faint pattering of feet against the black and white tiles reached his sensors, but he was left with nothing but the darkness as company.

Rumplestiltskin couldn't stop the twitching of his facial mechanics as his wretchedness displayed itself through out his face. It was becoming clear what was happening, and he ran his sharp claws into his wiry grey hair as the phantom flickers of _pain_ became too much. ‘She is afraid of me! No-I know she should be-but please-please I don't want her to be frightened! I don't want to go back to being al... I have to know-where is she going why is she running from me?'

He had to know if she was truly trying to keep from him, if she was staying as far as she could from him so not to bare the sight of his hideous form. If that was the case... Then he would return to the rules of their former deal. He would keep away from her entirely-wouldn't force her to say another word or catch a glance of his misery. However, the mere thought of becoming forgotten-ending up all alone once again sent an alarming charge through his entire body that made him want to tear himself apart just to be rid of it.

The downtrodden machine shuffled his way back down the hall towards the security office, finding himself only moving now because of his own determination. There was a means to figure out what the young woman was doing, and despite his fear of the truth he knew he had to do this. When he reentered the office his head whirled on it's pivot towards the security camera tablet sitting on the desk. The piece of machinery was quickly scooped up into one of his large hands before Rumplestiltskin studied the static camera screens that were set just like they were every single night.

With care he reached back behind his head and past the high collar of his leather coat, pulling at his hinged panel bellow his nape that allowed him access to some of his innards. There were many important pieces and parts he could grasp at without any assistance this way, but most of the major necessary parts resided in his chest and his skull-what he was looking for was right here however. Rumplestiltskin's features squished together as he dug through the wires and cords he had come memorize by touch over time, and in a few seconds he unplugged a specific jack and withdrew it from his metal shell. Yet, his fingers clamped upon the bit were trembling horribly as he brought the tablet near and plugged his wire into a port on the side.

Without fail the connection between both of the machines made the imp jolt up right as he felt his processors being torn apart from the inside out for a split second. This was something he'd done so many times-for years upon years with various other systems and contraptions, but there was no denying that he felt something inside of himself being stolen or lost during exchanges such as this. There was no room to think about it at the moment for what he could call his mind was being broken down into numbers and code, rearranging itself into the simplest form so he would not lose himself in the vast spaces flashing by.

**(01-A: ACCESSING EXTERNAL MEDIA. ZOSO|PROTOCOL IN STANDBY. ACCESS GRANTED. ACCESS CAM 01-ACCESS CAM 02-ACCESS CAM 03. ERROR.)**

The usual minute error warning flashed in the back of his head, but he quickly dismissed its response. It wasn't like the warnings could stop him anymore, and he knew well enough by now that he was surpassing his primary programing’s regulations.

**(01-A: ERROR IN MEDIA PORT. REPAIR IN PROCESS. REPAIR COMPLETE. ACCESS CAM 04-ACCESS CAM 05-)**

The gibberish and fountain of numbers poured into his skull for quite some time and yet no time at all in reality. After the flying paragraphs of code came to a halt Rumplestiltskin's 'consciousness' snapped back into place, making his closed metal eyelids fling wide open.

“All cameras active.” His voice forced out, and he blinked lazily for a moment before glancing down at the tablet's screen.

The feed looked to be near the same from before his merging with the other-less quirky machine, but now the images were actually accurate on the tablet. All the cameras feeds were showing live recordings instead of the set images he had preprogramed into the system which meant he could now find just who he was looking for. Flickering through every video by commands in this ‘mind’ was easy enough for him, and this ability made it so his segmented fingers didn't need to touch anything at all to operate the device.

Yet, feed after feed the animatronic tore through without spotting any form or sign of his guard lurking about in any of the cameras line of sight. If he wasn't puzzled before Rumplestiltskin was sure that he was beyond baffled, and his thin frown continued to deepen the longer he still couldn't see any head full of long hair nor the petite form dawning the company uniform. He was just near about to screech out in a mixture of frustration, confusion, and heart ache, but it all clogged up in his plated throat when the tablet jumped to the final camera's video feed.

Then suddenly, there the young woman was...

Right out side the security office.

The final camera was the one sitting above right outside the security office door, showing him an angled view of a dark hall but more importantly of a certain brown haired woman. From this view he could tell she was peeking over the edge of the doorframe and into her very own dimly lit office, but it took the mechanical man a moment too long to understand the connection between this sight and reality beyond that tiny screen.

_“Incredible!”_

“W-What! What are you-” Rumplestiltskin squeaked out in surprise at her voice before whipping his head about to face the very door way he was seeing on screen as well inside his head-making him experience a head full of various Belle French's. Sure enough his glowing eyes were not betraying him, the young woman was there before him, staring at him with a delighted grin smeared on her face and eyes alight with a vibrant look of awe.

“That’s how you do it-that's how you've been manipulating the cameras this whole time! Aha-My plan worked! I told you this clever knight would figure out your secrets.” The human released a hearty laugh that filled the whole tiny space with a pure light that Rumplestiltskin had never seen from anyone before. Rosy cheeks and squinted blue eyes creased with joy were all he could focus on despite her words floating through and back out his auditory sensors. It was like nothing the past three days had been happening, like she had been here all along, and... In that moment with her delighted giggling as she leaned against the wall-she looked so alive-so human and-so-so wonderfully-

_Real._

“Oh… Oh, Rumplestiltskin, are you okay?” Belle asked out of the blue as she set her flashlight pressed in one hand on the desk. He didn't know how long he’d been staring at her but in that time that gorgeous smile turned into a worried ‘o’ as her eyes began shimmering with concern.

“I-I-Y-Yes. H-Hey...” Rumplestiltskin, for all his grandeur and snarky remarks, was at a complete loss. Part of him knew his mind was not properly put together with it still being connected to another machine which made him fear something embarrassing would slip past his faux lips at any given moment. Quickly with a mere though he reset the camera system through out the building, forcing all the feeds return to the static image of before that had been taken at eleven o’ clock. Abruptly he tugged his wire free from the tablet, mentally and physically disconnecting them both before reeling back a moment to regain himself in his entirety.

For a brief second he lost something then and there-a bit of information or maybe a span of random code-he didn't know exactly what he lost. Yet… Somehow he knew he was losing something important even if it was something he’s never had or known. That too was soon brushed aside as the world around him pulled him away the frightening unknown in the form of the human calling out to him from a few feet away.

“Hey-You don't look okay. I know you don't get tired, but please-sit down-talk to me.” Belle was the one stammering now, and the imp's eyes clicked in his skull to focus on the human who was now approaching him and reaching out as if to touch him. It took a little bit of effort but Rumplestiltskin didn't run nor shrink back from her as she neared, though he desired nothing more than to flee from those delicate and pretty looking hands that should in no way be close to him. Quietly he allowed her to take hold of one of his limp hands before tugging him in the direction of the office couch. Somehow his feet managed to obey her demands and his commands despite still being rattled by all that was happening.

‘Her hands are so small...’ The thought was random too, but the animatronic couldn't help but stare at her pale hand as it held onto his rather monstrous looking one. It was just too strange a sight, one he wasn't sure he could ever become familiar with or able to look upon without feeling surprised.

Belle released his hand as she sat down and scooted over on the small couch, allowing him enough room where the two of them could sit comfortably. The mechanical man attempted to regather his wits as well as get his exposed wire back inside of himself when he joined her. For some reason having any of his more inhuman traits visible to her embarrassed him more than they ought to. 

“Now tell me honestly, are you okay? You're worrying me-you're usually not 'quiet' like this when we've crossed paths... Oh gosh! You're… You’re not mad at me are you?” Her voice rose a bit at the end, and the distraught crease to her forehead confused the already lost animatronic more so.

“Mad? Why... Would I be mad at you?” Rumplestiltskin quirked his head at her, taking note of how sorrowful her gaze pinned upon him seemed. Belle for her usual composure looked a bit ruffled at this point as she wasn't wearing her Avonlea embellished vizor which made her hair spill about her shoulders from the ponytail that sorrily tried to keep it back. His own curiosity grew as he took in just how flushed and worked up she looked from her running about in the dark halls not too long ago.

Carefully she moved to speak, however it appeared she was shy all of a sudden despite being so forward a few mere moments ago. So confusing this human was turning out to be... A confusing puzzle that had the imp inching a little bit closer to in hopes of understanding.

“Okay, so I take it that means you’re not mad?” She paused a moment, tucking her teeth between her lips, though she continued to talk before he could say anything. “But I-I just snuck up on you purposefully to find out your big secret about the security cameras! I'll admit it was a plan I started just three nights ago, and I didn't mean to drag it on so long, but you only finally went to the tablet tonight...”

Oh. Did that mean... She'd been doing this on purpose-but... Not out of fright-not because she wanted nothing to do with him?

Rumplestiltskin moved another inch closer to her on the couch cushion-he couldn't help it! What she said had him leaning forward so he could in someway hear her better incase his sensors were going screwy on him. “This-the last three nights, was all… A plan? A plan just to figu-gu-ure out how I don’t appear on the cameras?”

He'd never seen such a look of humiliation appear in a human being, especially this proud one, but Belle forced herself to look at him and firmly nod.

“So.” He lamely began, but the jittery machine didn't know how to even start understanding this concept despite how simple it was. “If this was all just a 'plan', then you _weren’t_ trying to hide away from me this entire time?”

“What? NO! I wouldn't ever do such a thing!” Belle blurted so loudly that Rumplestiltskin would not be surprised if her cry of dismay startled all the sleeping birds and animals nesting right outside of the building. In an instant the security guard turned more towards him to stare at him pleadingly, causing him to feel ashamed for even airing his doubts with such strong reaction from her. “Oh god! Rumplestiltskin I am so sorry-I didn’t mean for it to feel that way with me holding up away from you. I’ve just been so curious, so curious about how you do all these mysterious things and you in general that I thought the only way I could ever figure them out was to… To secretly spy on you.”

“You truly wish… To know more about me?” He should stop asking such her questions that gave away how pathetic and desperate he truly was, but he couldn't help it with how unbelievable everything she spoke sounded to him. He was just an old forgotten monster mimicking the shape of a human being, and no one had ever taken an 'interest' in who he was even when he'd been shiny and brand new upon his stage. Why would this human find him any different? If anyone it was him out of the two that wished to know her-to hear about her life and the world she lived in that was so foreign to his own.

“Yes, of course I do.” At least she was starting to smile again at his own inquires, and he wanted nothing more than for her to beam that dazzling smile he saw her bear from the doorway. “Please believe me, I’m not scared or frightened of you at all, this was such a foolish choice on my part. I didn’t stop to think about how you might have seen it-which was just as you said, me trying to avoid you. I always seem to go head first into things that I get worked up about without thinking it all the way through. I really am sorry if I hurt you.”

He could sense her sorrow straight away way before she even finished speaking in a low regretful tone. “You don’t need to apologize, it’s not like I’m hurt or can be hurt-afterall I’m not human, dearie.“ He shook his head slightly and forced a giant lopsided smile on his green gold face in hopes to ease whatever pain she might be feeling. "There is-"

“Oh hush!” The security guard suddenly snapped, and the animatronic quieted completely as his hinged jaw clacked back together with the rest of his mouth. “You’re much more human like than you realize, and even if you're not one you still deserve some respect and privacy. So let me have this apology... I was the one who was wrong here, and I plan on never mistreating you like that again.”

They sat in an awkward silence after that, but he couldn't keep his eyes leveled with her bright honest ones anymore. There was so much kindness there in her gaze... This young woman was treating him like he was a real person in her mind, and that alone was enough to make him nearly coil up around himself in pure disbelief. Instead, he allowed his programming to take hold and react in the best way he could.

“What a dishonorable knight!” Rumplestiltskin tittered down at her, earning a brief flicker of surprise with how her eyebrows jumped. With an exaggerated flourish of his segmented hand through the air he became the eccentric trickster that he knew how to play so well. “How low you have fallen, forced to spy from on the sorcerer from the sidelines to learn his trade se-cre-crets! Where is the heroic glory in that-hmmm?”

It seemed his theatrics worked their magic since she was fighting back a sudden laugh which made one bubble up inside himself.

Despite this Belle regained herself and and gave him a firm look to cast aside any former silliness. “But I being serious-I’m sorry Rumple. If you’re mad don't hide it or pretend you don't feel that way. I'd completely understand if you wouldn't want me to be around or bothering you after what I just pulled.” A meek hand rose up and combed at some of her rich locks for it seemed Belle was now the one who couldn't keep her eyes on him. Even with her face turned he could see she was wearing the faintest hint of fear-a fear he knew so well, one that a human such as this should never have to feel.

"It's a good thing that nosy little knights don't bother me then."

Swiftly her head turned back to him, and he sat there with mouth agape at the happiness that had returned to her soft expression.

‘She acts like I’m human and now... Why-why-why-why does she look at me that way?’

Suddenly the mechanical man felt more strange sparks blooming violently through his body and down each of his limbs, becoming too much of a new sensation from him to handle. He'd never known such a ‘fault’ to occur within himself, and it frightened him-Rumplestilstkin was sure he might blow a fuse with how hard his parts were whirling beneath his metal hull. Yet… In words, in thoughts and things humans could understand, the artificial sensation of 'life' felt… Wonderful.

With a random spring of energy he propelled himself forward onto his boot clad feet, startling the poor security guard beside him slightly.

“Don't think that makes us even, dearie, now you owe me! And what’s with the name Rumple, eh? I don't remember saying you could call me that.” A wicked grin curled on his grey lips as he turned on his heel to smirk down at her from his new height.

Belle's cheeks were becoming a darker shade of red than her vivid bow-tie at the mention of this nickname she'd given him. The sight of how lovely it looked upon her creamy fair skin left Rumplestiltskin wondering if red would soon become his new favorite color from that alone.

“Rumplestiltskin is quite a bit of a mouthful to say all the time, and Rumple sounds much more friendly and open when I use it. That's only if I’m allowed to call you that oh great mighty sorcerer.” Belle explained sarcastically before pushing against the couch to join him on her feet in a far less sporadic motion than him.

"But why call me that when 'The Wicked Imp' or 'Master of Darkness' all sound much more menacing and proper titles.” He curled up part of his lip in a ‘menacing’ sneer revealing his ugly, rotten, jagged teeth but she merely rolled her eyes at him. “Very well you may call me Rumple to save your necessary breath as you'll soon be needing it! As in I have something planned for you now dishonorable knight!”

The tiny security guard grew visibly shocked at his sudden unexpected outburst, and Rumplestiltskin released an eerie giggle full of glitches in amusement. Surely now the fear would flicker across her face, the fear he knew she lied about feeling when it came him. Yet, as the time ticked by alongside the faint sounds from the clock on the wall he saw none of it, even when she set her hands on her hips and stared him straight on.

“What is it you have in store? If it’s skinning children for their pelts I’m afraid I’ll have to decline. I only have one uniform and blood is a hard stain to get out.” Belle mused with a quirk of her brow, and her dark humor surprised Rumplestiltskin himself for a second.

“My such a morbid one you are-how surprising and quite a nice change of pace. I like it.” He preened before wagging his split brows on their tracks in reply. Instantly at the sight of his flying brows Belle began to laugh so hard she snorted and choked before reaching for her mouth to cover the inelegant sputter. “And you're such a silly knight as well-even better!”

“Stop-please!” The beauty was on the verge of tearing up with how her voice cracked, but the machine became overwhelmed with a sense of delight at making a human happy again. "Rumplestiltskin! C-Control your eyebrows!" Rumplestiltskin's maniac grin split across his distorted face. It almost felt as if his existence still held some value after years of purposelessness, and he was glad for his remarkable memory so he could remember this hilarious scene for the rest of his days.

“Now-now-I need you to compose yourself for what I have in store!" In graceful steps he pranced himself directly in front of her, planting his face a few inches from hers before tucking his arms neatly behind his back. "The remaining question is, do you trust me, d-ear-earie?”

“Yeah.. I mean, why yes, I'm ready for anything you throw my way.” The security guard looked to be regaining some composure, but she was still burning brightly with an invisible light she couldn't contain in that body of hers.

Without saying anything more the imp took a step back before bowing and holding out his hand towards her in a submissive manner. Rumplestiltskin's amber eyes trailed up his coat sleeve to his frilled cuffs and down to his fingers tips to see her form beyond, a harsh contrast to his grotesque design. Even with the many remarks of disdain and mocking he'd received a long time ago he knew well enough how awful he was to simply look at, and so he awaited with no breath to hold of his own to see her grimace at his outstretched proposal. Belle was one of the ‘touchy’ ones of her kind from what he had studied of her so far, always looking for ways to connect with others through small human gestures. In the short span they'd met she’d had touched his silicone face, his unsightly hand, and his arm of her own consent even though it was something as strange as him.

This was different now... Now the animatronic, no longer smirking underneath his curtain of wiry hair, was the one asking her.

A gentle lull of time passed, with her shooting him a soft smile, but she responded by gently reaching out her hand and letting him take hers.

That moment was not the first time he had ever desired for skin, muscle, and a sense of touch, but unlike the others he'd never wished more than now that he could experience that for even the slightest second.

Belle looked up at him from their joined parts with those curious blue eyes as deep as the blue sky at midday that he had not seen in ages. The ebbing yellow glow of the spheres in his head brushed across her skin in a intangible caress, and though he gently grasped her hand he was only able to sense the pressure of her weight against his rigged shell. Yet, they were linked together (linked beyond what they both could comprehend and the irony did not pass him) and he was sure to take it easy as he lead her towards the open door. Without the comfort of her flash light Belle stepped with him into the darkness of the hallway with only the mechanical man acting as the young woman’s guide through the abyss. Surely she was feeling afraid by this point of where the monster was taking her or what he had planned, Rumplestiltskin was positive of it.

Yet her hand only tightened in his.

—————

Rumplestiltskin didn't utter a single word as he lead her away from the safety and comfort of her office, but strange enough the young woman remained even more quiet. He'd been expecting some what of a fight or at least her voice pelting his sensors with various questions, yet he only heard the rhythmic sound of her breathing filter through the darkness. Together their steps echoed about them with his ‘clack’ to her ‘pitter patter’ till they reached his destination. It was a short trip since he was only taking her to the maintenance room, and when he opened that heavy door inside was swallowed up by the haunting darkness. It was already hard enough for the human to see he realized as he faced the pitch wall of black, and so the animatronic tilted his head towards her so she could have the glow of his eyes illuminate to her steps.

Shadows danced across her face from the movement, but he could clearly see the wide eyed expression she wore towards the entrance-though it is one born of awe and curiosity. Even in such an unsavory situation most humans would dread the auburn haired beauty was only wanting to explore further as she peered beyond the doorway. Rumplestiltskin bit back a chuckle of amusement sparking at his throat. He was enjoying finding out more and more about this insatiable trait of hers.

With their hands still clamped together they bypassed the large machinery within the room with ease. He could tell Belle had never been in here before with how her head gawked about, though it was understandable if she hadn't yet even when including Mr. Getto's typical forgetfulness. If Avonlea were a human the imp concluded the maintenance room would be the heart of the building that kept all the necessary functions for the establishment going and so it was off limits to only those who needed to be occupying it. As if to remind him just this right as they were passing the water heaters Belle gasped, nearly tripping over a jutting piece of equipment thanks to the dark, but the machine swiftly pulled her to his body to keep her up right. As soon as the young woman regained her foothold he released her (having her so close reminded him too much of how nice she felt pressed against him when he'd caught her after the chair incident) before he took her hand again to lead her to the back of the room.

When his free fingers traced over a set of familiar pipes he brought them to a complete stop before glancing to the beauty.

“Are you afraid?”

“No, of course not, but I don't see why you've brought me to the maintenance room to stumble about in the dark. It's not like I can really enjoy the view.” She pointed out sarcastically, and he had to hold back another glitchy giggle at how impatient she was becoming to figure out his scheme.

“You'll see soon enough why I brought you here, but I have to let go of you a moment, dearie.” Rumplestiltskin forewarned in his impish pitch.

“That’s okay-I trust you, and the name is Belle. Just a reminder there.”

He had to give a real smile at that-no one had ever been this playful with him- _so unafraid_ , and though he was sure she could see his mouth twitch upwards he didn't mind, not right now at least. After letting go of her hand he turned from her and then squeezed himself carefully behind a small structure of a panel box and the thick pipes that stretched through the ceiling before bending backwards into the wall. Metal paneling pressed against him as he moved forward but the notch of the special one jutted out like it always did, so he grasped the entire thing and moved it upright from the latch. There was enough space that he could push the panel from the wall, set it aside, and step into the inky black even further behind it. Yet after scooting the panel back he squirmed his way back to Belle, far enough he could reach out for her, allowing his glowing spheres to reveal his arm beyond the pipes.

“Be careful not to get caught on anything, and then when you feel space in front of you mind the bit of a ledge you'll have to step over.” His explanation seemed to go over just fine as she clutched at his hand to follow after.

“Okay, I should be fine. At least you'll catch me if anything goes wrong.” The security guard stated without so much a worry lacing her voice. Sure enough Rumplestiltskin stuck by her side just in case, but she stepped over the bit of protruding paneling and into the darkness with him with ease. Before she could get an idea of where she'd been lead to Rumplestiltskin turned from her, illuminating the small space before himself though he already knew what he was looking for.

The louder exhale of Belle's breath gave away the words building up on her tongue as he heard her shifting and attempting to adapt to this unknown place.

“Wait-where are we right now? We're still in the maintenance room aren't we?” Belle inquired right before the world around them was suddenly revealed by a soft blue light that peeled away the inky shadows.

“Yes, but we're in my own space you cou-could say.” Rumplestiltskin replied with a hint of amusement, drawing his fingers away from the small electric lantern sitting on a shelf.

With the new found light the young woman could properly glance about the tiny room, though it hardly required for her to crane her head about to do so. The machine waited and watched as she gazed about the cramped space, but he soon began to feel more self conscious than before at the realization that perhaps bringing her here was not the best idea. But... She’d been so curious about the cameras as well as where he'd been hiding himself out of sight for so many years that he'd wanted to see if she could smile again with another mystery being revealed unto her. 

“This… This is your space?” She reiterated carefully while stepping a bit closer. However, she wasn't really smiling and that alone made him instantly wish he’d never brought her here.

This space, _his_ space, was an old abandoned room that had originally been a supply closet before the building's recent renovations. When Avonlea was being constructed on he'd been forced from his previous hiding spot, a dangerous short bought of time, before finding a new one that managed to keep himself well removed from human sight. This one they both stood almost smushed together in was much smaller than his previous one but far better hidden. No one had any idea that there was a hollow room behind one of the panels in the maintenance room save for the stowaway animatronic himself, and the convenient mass of piping that could not be moved in the renovation kept it that way.

Overall the hideaway could fit in a rough estimation at least four people standing length wise and two people width wise-but then again he had added three shelves in the back with spare leftovers during the renovation so some of the space was lost. It didn't bother him, it wasn’t as if Rumplestiltskin had to worry about having people over-this little hole was room enough for one person. No... It was room enough for a broken machine that was used to being stuffed into confined spaces-honestly he didn't even deserve this...

Yet, now with Belle finally seeing this sight she had probably imagined to be some 'grand' thing within her imagination... It seemed so pitiful.

“It’s gotten rather dusty in here as of late!" The scaled animatronic chirped aloud to distract himself and his human guest whose blue eyes seemed far too sad for his liking. "I’ve been far too busy with other import-port-ant matters to handle it-but! Since you said you wanted to see where I 'hide’ so badly you can now see it for a price-by cleaning it!”

Appearing as nonchalant as one could he whirled himself back on the balls of his heels to face her, but instead of finding mockery or scorn he found Belle looking at his shelves with a poignant stare.

“You kept that chipped mug after all.”

His eyes drifted from her to the shelf where did indeed sat the mug Ms. French had damaged during her second week of the night shift. The chipped portion of it still resided in the ceramic ware which always ‘tinked’ pleasantly around when he lifted it. He liked the sound the broken piece made, and odd enough it reminded him of a delightful laugh he was coming to enjoy hearing bounce through the empty halls in Avonlea.

“Ah-I've been meaning to throw the thing out.” Rumplestiltskin tried his best to flat out lie-but then that very laugh he liked echoed about his space as Belle smirked at him. He abruptly frowned down at her for that, and waved a hand through the air as if he could careless. One day he'll throw the thing out, after all what use did a machine that could not drink or eat have with a mug anyways? Yes... Someday he'll get rid of it-just not now. “Perhaps for the mean-ean-time it still could service some use holding other things for me. By the way-I brought you here for another reason besides having you clean and gawk, dearie.” He tittered a moment as he reached over and grabbed at the book lying on the tippy top shelf before thrusting it back towards her.

“I finished it two days a-ag-go. It was a very interesting read, and there were many concepts and things I’ve never heard of before. Not bad overall-I’ve read far worse dribble before.”

Belle kept grinning more and more at this as she took the book back from him, tucking it beneath her crossed arms. “Really? What's been this worse dribble? I haven't seen much reading material around here.”

“One woman who used to work here tended to leave about these horrendous romance novels in the break room.” The scaly animatronic stuck out his grey metal slab for a tongue at the memory which elicited a snort from the security guard. “I’d rather have to con-tin-in-tinuously read the back of a box of dish soap than such writing ever again.”

“So it wasn't bad, that's good, but did you like it? Come on, you can tell me the truth.” Belle inquired further, practically giving him doe eyes over wanting to know how he favored the book. Such a rather adorable sight of enthusiasm didn't help him at all, and his plan of trying to fight off his growing fondness for the strange woman with his barbed sarcasm wasn't appealing to him anymore. He shouldn't-he knew he as making a terrible choice that was only going to hurt him, but he wanted... He wanted to care for her.

“Yes, it was very good and I'd read more from this author. Except, I feel that the main character was too obtuse in writing and in character. I mean, it was ridic-dic-ulous how long it took him to see the true inten-ten-tions of his traitorous coworker! Maybe the point was he wasn't supposed to be a very bright hero, but then they never seem to be.”

Belle raised a brow at him, and Rumplestiltskin wondered if she'd caught onto the double edge words he had brandished in an clever attempt to rile her.

“You can’t blame him for putting his faith and hope into someone he thought was a friend and an ally. It was part of his nature to have optimistic ideals of his loved ones-a pro and a con of his character. Besides, the hero must obviously be somewhat capable and intelligent if they always overthrow the villain.”

“Touche.” Rumplestiltskin hummed in agreement, his joints clacking as he tilted his head to hide his smirk from her field of vision. “I suppose that's true, especially since this villain has been outwitted today by the ever heroic if not a bit dishonora-bl-ble knight.” Rumplestiltskin felt the weight of his nervousness lift slightly with their playful banter, but as he swiveled his head he saw Belle was practically pressed right beside him. However, she was just as quickly bending down on her knees and appearing to be looking over his rows of shelves with great interest.

“Wow, I don’t even know where to begin looking let alone cleaning, you’ve got all sorts of things. Where did all of this stuff come from?” The beauty asked, peering back up him under her long lashes and Rumplestiltskin could only gape back in reply with his wits momentarily lost again. There was a spark in her eyes though, they alighted those pools of blue with an honest interest he could literally see from their shimmer. He caught it leap just as she was reaching out one hand and picking up something under the very bottom os his shelves. A flash from a metallic surface flickered across his eyes as he watch her begin to withdraw a metal tin from its hidi-

'It was the _tin_ ' his programming screeched at him. The one that had- ** _NO-NO-NO-NO! IF SHE WERE TO OPEN THAT SHE'D FIND OUT-_**

“NO! DON'T TOUCH THAT!” The mechanical man abruptly screeched after racing forward without fair warning and accidentally snapping his deadly jaw right near Belle's face. A small cry of alarm flew from those previously awed lips, and the human forced back fell right on her backend, dropping the tin which 'clattered' harshly against the ground. In an instant he scooped up the item before Rumplestiltskin cradled the metal box to his chest and scrambled back into one of the only empty corners of the all too small room.

Suddenly, as if ever sound had been sucked out of the air, silence fell over them both with the tiny security guard shooting up her bent over head to stare at the huddled animatronic from the concrete floor.

Horror donned on Rumplestiltskin after a few seconds of this, for when he turned towards her he saw the truth bearing itself across her features with nothing to conceal it. It was finally there for all to see as he always knew it had to be no matter how well she hid id- _her fear of him._

“I-I’m... I'm... I didn't mean... Please...” Rumplestiltskin's thread thin voice barely carried over the minuscule distance between them as he went to apologize. But even he knew his wild temper and unfair actions had crossed the line again-there were no form of 'I'm sorry' or 'forgive me's' that could make up for what he had just done. “This-you ca-an-n’t-not this...”

It was all too much, knowing the terror she must be feeling towards him now, and so he shut his artificial eyelids tight together in hopes the darkness could swallow up his wretchedness along with him. The metal box rattled along with him in his trembling arms as they tightened around it almost as if to make it apart of himself. The machine forced down a hoarse crackle mimicking a sob at the thought. After all, he was more like the dented cold box than the flesh and blood human being surely rising to her feet now and turning to dash out of the room never to come back.

“I’m sorry Rumplestiltskin. There I went head first into something I had no right to again without even stopping to think about it.”

Those accented words surprised him more than anything else had tonight, and he took a chance, glancing towards her wearily. What momentary fear he'd seen before was long gone as Belle smiled at him, bearing a small but kind one that confused him for the umpteenth time. Placing her hands on the dusty floor she pushed herself up to her feet once more, but didn't stray from him nor take a step back in hesitation.

“I promise from now on I won’t touch anything you say I can’t… But just so you know it’s going to make it hard to clean this place if I don’t know what I can or can’t touch.” There was not an ounce of venom to her words like there should have been-like he deserved for lashing out in a monstrous manner. The brave woman, simply wiping her hands on her grey slacks as if the dust was more of an offense, should have been beyond angry. Any other person would have been spouting cruel words at him and scowling deeply with festering detest that a walking talking contraption dared bare its teeth near them.

“You can look at and touch everything, but not this…” The imp quietly explained before he reached down to place the worn box back under the bottom shelf in the safety of shadows. His leather coat groaned as he bent but even his keen sight and hearing was to preoccupied to notice his company reaching out her arm slowly towards him.

Then all of a sudden he felt her touching the top of his head, and Rumplestiltskin's entire body froze at the action as he stood half way on his bent knees. 

Alien eyes flicked directly towards human blue, but the mechanical man saw that she was kind of surprised at this as well. It was such a tender touch to bestow upon anyone-he knew this much from how he'd seen parents pat their children as a sign of love or when friends ruffled each others hair affectionately. This was... He didn't know what this was nor what it meant, but feeling the pressure of her palm and fingers against his head... The anxiety ripping through his wires and cords seemed to decline and ease away-something he'd never experienced before either.

The dishonorable knight patted him lightly a couple of times, and then extended that hand past him, grabbing at the lantern. Before Rumplestiltskin could understand what she was doing she'd already slipped out the open panel, lantern and all, and disappeared from the room. As the light faded away along with the security guard Rumplestiltskin was left with only the glow of his eyes to see with.

“W-Where are you going?” He inquired loudly, still too meek sounding for his liking since he was becoming afraid again he'd ran her off.

“I’ll be right back! I have to pay you back after all!” She chirped loudly back, though his worry over her grew when he heard her foot hit that same corner the water heater from before and nearly topple all over again. “Good grief-even with a light I'm... Don’t worry-I’m good!”

Several minutes of waiting went on before he heard her footsteps enter the maintenance room again and head towards his hideaway. The entire time the animatronic hadn't moved an inch from his spot, but he allowed himself to trust her enough to believe she'd come back-she hadn't gone screaming and running from him yet tonight when he'd done far worse. The light from the lantern began to ebb into the room shortly, and then Belle was back just the same as before except she now had a whole arsenal of cleaning supplies in a basket hanging on one arm and the security tablet under the other.

“You know I was just joking about the whole cleaning thing, just a quip, dearie.” He brokenly giggled on a nervous tune, yet as if she hadn't heard a word he said she was beaming and wriggling a can of polish along with a rag out of her basket.

“I had a good feeling you were, you don't seem the type to make too much of a mess, but I think this is a way to repay you for me spying." Belle stated, but there was a mischievous glint to her eyes just as strong as her stubborn curiosity. "Well, so long as you go on and tell me how you actually go about doing that thing with the cameras from earlier. Can you control everything just by plugging yourself in-or can you control it from anywhere without having to be connected?”

“I have to plug myself physically in-unfortunately I was created in an era long before wifi.” He joked, earning a beautiful peal of laughter from his company. Without saying anything of it he watched as she approached his shelves and began to lift up his junk, cleaning at the random things all while glancing back at him eagerly as if to go on. “If you truly want to know my own operating system can access the same system the camera feed and video re-cord-cording program works from. When I'm in control I simply have the video loop a short fragment of feed right after close so it looks as if simply nothing happens all night on the re-cord-cordings. When I do that I’m free to roam about the building to my hearts content, and then at seven in the morning it goes back to the live active feed.” When his explanation was finished the animatronic noticed she wasn't getting very far on cleaning with how rapt her attention was on him, but he didn't mind it at all. “Er-The specifics on doing these things are rather boring and compli-pli-cated-I don’t know how to truly describe it...”

“Well, why not try?” Belle asked as she put a little more elbow grease into a swipe of her rag before setting back down his newly clean can full of arcade tokens that he saved for a 'rainy day'. “We’ve got all night after all to talk, and I’d love to hear about it-about you in general.”

Rumplestiltskin gaped his hinged jaw at her again, and at this rate he was sure it would be falling off and clattering to the floor if it wasn't oiled soon. It snapped back to the rest of his mouth, silencing him, but he saw first hand that the little knight with her big red bow tie was completely invested now and with genuine interest too. For some reason he felt himself physically puff up, boasting about his vest lapels almost, as his pride swelled to a new unimaginable height he hadn't felt in many a decade.

“If you insist then.”

And so the two rather different but somehow similar duo talk together more through out the night. Rumplestiltskin allowed himself to delve into how he tapped into the cameras and the other various equipment about Avonlea due to his unorthodox nature, but then they began to talk about random things to. Through the hours they went on from stories about his odd little collection of strange and broken things, to Belle’s own life beyond Avonlea's walls, her usual ongoings within her world, Storybrooke itself, and then the beauty's own odd assorted collections of books, baked good recipes, and buttons (a hobby gathered from her grandmother he remembered clearly). With ease both of them spewed and talked about all sorts of things, giving freely to one another tiny almost insignificant aspects of their lives with great interest.

The clock in the office down the hall ticked quietly as they sat for hours getting to know one another in his little room, which much to Rumplestiltskin's happiness felt perfectly cozy with two.


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> On a muggy September night at Avonlea Belle decides she’s got to do something besides read books all night to help rid herself of an antsy anxious feeling. Rumplestiltskin suddenly obtains a random idea and before Belle knows it she is soon facing him head to head in ‘the greatest battle’ ever!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 12/12/15- Chapter Eight first-revision completed.

It was hard for Belle to believe that August was already over.

Despite the time seeming to have slipped away when she was unaware it was already the first day of September that very Monday to Tuesday morning. It meant Belle had now officially worked four weeks in a row at Avonlea which was a task that no other previous night guard had ever achieved (let alone any former night guard had ever made it through _two_ ). Though she didn't think it was anything to celebrate or point out the fact had not gone unnoticed by her boss Marco, the other daytime employees who she found out did bet and gossip about who would last the 'dreaded nightshift', or the few people who even knew she worked the position.

 _'I just realized you've been with us for about a month now Ms. French. That makes you the longest night guard we’ve ever had!’_ Marco had exclaimed aloud when she had stopped by that Monday afternoon for some delicious freshly baked pizza to take over to the flower shop and have with her father. _‘As my thanks to you your pizza’s on the house today. Thank you for all your hard work. I know the night shift can be taxing, but I knew I picked the right person for the job when I hired you!’_

It was a nice treat in her honest opinion, and it helped confirm for her that being the night guard for a silly fantasy themed pizzeria and family fun center wasn’t all that bad. After all she got decent pay for guarding the place, only had to work six hours a night for five nights a week, and she got free food on occasions such as this.

But the best part of the job in her opinion, though it was something she couldn't dare speak a word about to anyone, was the fact that she had company.

'Speaking of company, he hasn't even made a peep in a while.' The beauty thought to herself, pulling her mind away from the events that happened hours ago to focus on the quiet scene settled in her office.

“Hey, Rumple?” Belle mumbled out loud as she turned in her swivel chair, making it squeak on its axis from her moving weight.

The mechanical man she looked upon was still seated in his spot on the carpeted floor with his legs stuck out straight before him as his fake eyes 'clacked' in his skull, darting over every printed line of the book in his hands. Rumplestiltskin looked rather content with his silicone face at ease but focused on his task, though he would crack a jagged smile here and there as he read something humorous-then again perhaps it was something dark in nature. As Belle's eyes traced over him she took note of his wires that were protruding from within his worn leather jacket and were plugged into the outlet beside him. Like any other machine he operated on electricity, having to recharge in order to maintain functions and his very 'existence' as he put it, but he also said his body contained a large battery with a charge that lasted pretty much the same span of time a human went with a proper sleeping schedule.

Yet, even with her staring right at him the imp was still absorbed with his reading, leaving Belle to quietly rest her chin on one hand and watch her ‘company’ flip a page and keep on going without a care in the world. They'd spent many of their nights as of late just like this though with the both of them quietly settled within her office, talking a little here or there but mostly keeping a short distance between them. She couldn't blame him for being so engrossed with her books since they had helped lure him into staying near her in the first place. Before she came around lending free reading material the beauty found out by his own admittance there wasn't much for the mechanical man to do in the daytime besides ‘sleep’ as he kept out of sight in his little hideout.

But damn-she knew the animatronic was fast physically, but he was also a fast reader! Rumplestiltskin had already gone through several of her favored classics, read a history fiction in one day, and now was on a series of fantasy books she'd picked up only a couple of months ago.

Belle herself had been reading as well tonight at a slower pace, but it wasn't because she was less interested in her books than the machine. The air between them was becoming more comfortable and relaxed with each passing shift, but for some reason since late afternoon the security guard found herself... Restless. It was like there was a bothersome itch somewhere on her back, but she couldn't reach it and no amount of scratching would cure the unexplainable irritation festering within her mind. Though she wasn't absolutely sure she concluded it was just becoming boring for her to sit at the big old desk night after night, and so Belle thought a stroll around the building or even down the hall would help soothe the problem. 

“Rumple…” She spoke his name out loud again but only got the sound of another page being flipped in response. “ _R_ _uuumple_ … _Earth to the silly sorcerer_... Oh my, I guess I’m just going to have to run off and around Avonlea all by myself then.”

Her chair barely squeaked when she stood up, but somehow that tiny sound was what snapped the machine out of the enchantment the book had cast upon him. His neck made a 'clack' as he turned to look up at her, peering up at her with a curious expression glinting in his large amber eyes.

“Sneaking off to somewhere, dearie?” Rumplestiltskin inquired as his smile became a mischievous pressed line before he reached for the bookmark next to him to preserve his spot.

“Yeah, just _sneaking off_  to get some coffee or tea I think, but mostly because I feel like I have to get up and move around. I know you can't feel it, but the room is really warm and muggy in here tonight too.” Belle explained in a weary tone as she tugged at the ridiculous bow tie at her neck, attempting to free some of the built up heat pinned there.

Just like the limited functioning lights at night Marco had also implemented the air conditioning system to remain turned off as well. Despite the fact the last week had been nice and cool for August she was finding the first night of September to be brutal. All that the young woman had to fight back against the heat was a simple desk fan that even now whirred back and forth to produce a bit of air flow in the otherwise stuffy office.

“Ah, you're right. I can't tell what tem-per-perature this 'hot' and 'cold' is, but if you're un-uncom-fort-fortable here... You should do whatever it is you need to do then...” Rumplestiltskin's whimsical voice fell away, but he kept looking at her with a blank expression that made her worry. Though he had lots of human qualities his mechanical and semi distorted face was still not the easiest thing to read, and so she wondered at what he was thinking about.

He appeared to be going back to his book after a few seconds of silence, but Belle found herself wanting to test another theory of hers out.

“Come with me.” The beauty simply stated, and those three words made the animatronic's head 'clack' back towards her. This time he wore that strange awed expression she's seen him wear so many times before-as if he couldn't believe what she said at all. They'd managed to patch things up from the incident a while back when she'd been sneaking around to figure out his secrets, but she was sure he still feared her suddenly wanting him to leave her alone or her wanting nothing to do with him.

Belle frowned at that painful thought internally, but smiled brightly at Rumplestiltskin as she offered her hand to him. “You’ve been reading for three hours straight now, and you sit down enough during the day when you're in your room. You don’t need your servo’s locking up on you from lack of movement.”

A sudden twitch of a smile flickered at the corner of his mouth at that before he reached back behind his head for his wires to free himself from the outlet. “My-my-where is all this sudden knowledge coming from? I didn’t know you had an expertise regard-gard-ing mechanics and robotics, though I wouldn't it doubt it from such an nosy knight such as yourself.” His impish crackled voice was so far playful tonight, but she could tell he’d honestly become curious towards her.

Try as she might to stop it Belle felt warmth seep into her cheeks from his intense gaze, but brushed it off as he gently took her outstretched hand to help him stand up next to her. Of course once he was upon his boot clad feet he let go of his gentle grip on her instantly. The short lived touch had given Belle only a second to study his segmented, clawed, metal fingers that clattered against one another as they fell back to his sides.

“I'm not even close to becoming an expert, but I’ve just been doing some casual reading on the topic as of late. The library here in Storybrooke has a surprisingly large selection of books on the subject-especially the basics which are what I need. I've gotten the privilege to check out most of them at once-another advantage of mine since I live in the apartment right above.” Belle explained in her growing excitement as the two of them exited her office together.

"From how many books you say you have I already imagined you lived in a library!" Rumplestiltskin tittered with a whirl of one of his golden green hands rising through the air. "Such a place though, a building full of books... Sounds interes-res-ting,  _I suppose_."

A small stifled laugh made its way to Belle's lips as the two of them walked down the hall towards the break room with her flash light guiding the way. The fact that her companion has chosen of his own free will to join her didn't go over her head, and she listened happily as Rumplestiltskin continued their small chatter that rung along their unique steps. In the beginning, as they had gotten to know one another better, he had let her do most of the talking, inquiring about aspects of her life here and there and occasionally divulging about himself, but now Belle felt he had started to open up in more ways. Yet, there was still so much about him she didn't know in the slightest. There were certain things he steered her away from asking about in their conversations, or topics he skirted around with the aid of his trickster like persona when she tried to bring them up.

They were always about him or his past.

This was a bit frustrating to the inquisitive beauty who was coming to want to know this strange human like figure in his entirety. Then again, it seemed he might feel the same way she did when he wormed in a random personal question into their current conversation.

“You mentioned to me before that you have this thing called a 'degree' that means you can work as a lib-rari-rarian. So why do you not apply there for work? At the library I mean-you are more than quali-fie-fied I am sure.” The imp asked before tilting his head towards her and spilling his wiry grey curls over the high collar of his coat.

Belle sighed at that, but was quick to explain her reaction lest the mechanical man grow fearful that she made such a mournful sound because of him. “The nearby surrounding area has nothing open in terms of librarians, and Storybrooke only has a small library that already has a full staff. I've wanted to work at the one in town though ever since I was a kid. The place needs some extra love and care, but without even a part time position for hire I can’t do what I spent four years in college to do.” Belle quirked her head back to him and saw Rumplestiltskin staring gravely ahead for some reason, wearing the blank expression he donned when she assumed he didn't know how to react in place of human emotions.

Despite having become more and more acquainted with Rumplestiltskin Belle had to admit to herself that she was still a bit… Wary of him sometimes. No, she wasn't afraid of him anymore, but his random beastly temper and sudden changes in personality when pushed to far with personal questions was something she didn't want to involuntarily invoke. Deep down she didn't think he meant to act out like that either, though he could be a bit snappish purposefully sometimes which she didn't stand for and told him so outright. But how could anyone expect a mechanical being like him deprived of any form of connection for over twenty five years to be able to respond easily to such situations? How could he open himself up to explain to her in simple human terms whatever pain it was that he suffered and endured?

In a way Rumplestiltskin was almost like a wild dog abandoned by its master she decided. It had become clear that he was lonely despite his objections, and that he longed for the warmth of care and love like any human-he even wanted to return it back in what means he could but was unable to understand how to receive or give it. Thus the machine reacted in the only way he knew how to cope with such things… He treated it as something to fear or distrust.

‘I can tell he wants companionship, but could Rumplestiltskin really desire 'love' or possibly be able to 'love' in return?’ Belle blushed lightly to herself at that rather alarming idea she focused upon that showed in her shortened steps. ‘It shouldn't be possible for him... He’s an animatronic after all, and that’s a trait and emotion only living creatures can understand, but he’s so human like to begin with and he's breaking all the rules already just by existing. Yet I also know first hand that he can be very kind and caring if also temperamental and cold. He's... Sweet under those silicone scales and dark quips he uses…’

The beauty's whirling thoughts trailed off, stopping her in place down the dark hallway without her knowing it. Before she could think of the idea further she was startled by a cold sensation brushing against the tip of her nose.

“Hopefully then by the time our deal is done and you no longer desire to work here an opening will be there at the library for you to apply for! That is of course only if you manage to survive to the new year _graceful knight_.” Rumplestiltskin teased her as he stood unexpectedly in front of her after having bopped her on the nose with one of his icy fingers. Belle couldn't help but rub the tip of her nose in a quick gesture as he grinned sillily down at her with that strange but rather cute smile of his that was widened from his hinged jaw. 

“I plan on making it out of Avonlea with everything in tact- _thank you_ , and I’d love for even a part time position there if I could get one. Though I have to say I'm hurt-you want me out of here that bad already do you?” Belle playfully responded, but her sharp blue eyes caught the all too quick flicker of utter discomfort that had appeared on his artificial face. But in a flash the golden green being was grinning in his maniacal manner again and turning to approach the break room door that loomed only a few feet ahead.

Belle was left to stand there and blink a moment in confusion, but she knew what she saw hadn't been a figment of her imagination. The pain that had rested there in the age lines of his cheeks had been real, but what the animatronic had been discomforted by she hadn't the slightest clue.

Those curiosities fell away for a second when the two of them entered the break room which was only lit up by the measly emergency lights when she flicked the switch. As Belle set about making her some coffee, approaching the coffee maker and throwing out the old worn filter in disgust, she glanced back to Rumplestiltskin. He wasn't paying any attention to her at the moment for he was far too busy inspecting the empty room in his apparent need for balance and order. Yet, watching him when he was unaware of his sole company was interesting to the bookish beauty because he seemed to let his guard down and reveal the inner workings of his mind across the features of his face. Yes, even now he was still wearing such a grim look like the one he momentarily wore earlier, and it made her realize she was not the only one being bothered by something unexplainable tonight...

Oddly enough it took a bit of courage for her to ask the question she wanted to, but Belle bit her lip before letting the words spill out. 

"Does having me here really bother you Rumplestiltskin?"

The animatronic tensed his rigid form as soon as the last syllable of his name disappeared into the air. Though his leather clad back was halfway turned from her she caught a glimpse of his profile and of the panic that had been displayed by the slight baring of his jagged teeth.

“Well, it certainly doesn't matter to me whether you are here nor there.” He said quickly in an impassioned tone-like it was a bother to even talk to her about such a thing. His long fingers traced over the closed blinds covering the windows as Belle simply observed, but he didn't lift them to reveal the thin beams of moonlight trying to stream into the room. “So long as I can move about Avonlea in peace and have a trustworthy guard not trying to bring down the building with them _or_ threat-eat-ening to have me scrapped I don't care who it is.”

"Oh really now? And here I thought you had been so worried about me a couple of weeks ago." Belle hummed a bit mischievously, causing the impish machine to sputter a moment before he whirled about on his graceful feet to face her.

"That is-I wasn't worried about you! I was concerned about you being afr-of-of you not doing your job properly is all!"

Belle could only scoff and roll her bright eyes at his obvious bluff before moving towards the sink to fill the empty pot for the water compartment. What she herself should be worried about is her eyes rolling straight out of her head with the rate of them spinning in her skull.

 _('Something’s wrong-no-you don’t understand-my eye-_ _I CAN’T-_   _')_ _  
_

Suddenly, the water running and gushing from the faucet roared in her ears louder then anything else in the room.

The voice that had replayed in her head made her realize she was standing before a sink just like... Belle's seen such a scene before behind the corner of the kitchen door down the hall... One of her mother thrashing at the counter top. One of an empty socket void and hollow of anything there as the residue and gore dripped down to where her...

The abrupt images rushing into her head slammed into her entire being and caused a wave of nauseousness to wash over her. Bile rose up hard in the back of her throat as the horrible phantom smells recalled themselves-the burning sting of iron and human matter.

How long had it been since she last reflected that haunting day? The one she pushed so hard into the recesses of her mind but saw in broken glances in her own home and in people and places.

“Dearie! You’re about to make a mess everywhere!” Rumplestiltskin's distraught voice abruptly pulled her out of the terrible recollections worming their way through her head. Belle turned in an instant to see the scaled machine already at her side and gently pushing her hand clenched around the pot of water away since it was spilling over onto the backsplash of the sink. “That’s quite enough water there unless you're trying to recreate a waterfall on the counter-ter-tops… Uh, dearie? A-Are you... Alright?”

“I'm sorry, my... My mind somehow got away from me there. Thanks for the warning though.” Belle forced a smile for him across her pale cheeks before tearing her eyes away from the  _concerned_  metal orbs peering back at her. Hastily the beauty emptied the pot into the coffee maker and put it back in it's place to await her brew while she prepared the grounds from a large container. The minimal work was much appreciated as the embarrassment she was still feeling forced her to not look to the face of the mechanical man that made her so... So... Aware of herself and how freaked out she must have looked to him.

However, Belle noticed Rumplestiltskin was acting like he had no desire to put distance between them as he usually did with how remained right by her side. While she'd only known him for about a month his current pressing closeness, with his hand resting on the counter top and nearly touching her own, did not disturb her in the slightest. In fact, their nearness to one another helped ease her down from the sickly ache that had sunk into her chest and gut at the terrible memories.

When she listened closely in the lingering silence she could hear the pounding of her heart match the rhythm of his whirling mechanical parts.

That peace she found with him made her more confused than her own strange anxious feelings and the distress Rumplestiltskin had expressed seconds ago. To think the machine who had terrified her to the core the fifth night she started working here was now one of the most comfortable things-people, she corrected herself, for her to be around...

Yet, she was still rather irritated by one thing he had continued to do against her wishes.

“By the way I have a name, it's Belle, remember? I know you do, after all you said you don't forget anything.” The imp withdrew from her at that reminder by several steps, as if he'd remembered only that he needed to keep some set ridiculous distance between them. Belle felt a bit hurt at his reaction, and she found she didn't like such responses from him compared to anyone else she knew. “Anyways-I'm not forgetting about what you said earlier. That it didn't matter to you if I’m around or not because I know that’s not true.'”

The imp flourished a hand and puffed up with his plated shoulders in hopes to look intimidating, but his height difference didn't work with the two scant inches he had on her. “Bah! You humans and your need for constant claims of self import-port-ance! It’s true that I- _more than likely Avonlea-_ " He reiterated. "Will never have another security guard with a decent taste in books and care for loaning them out working here, so I would be inclined to agree t-that it would be most unfortunate to lose such a unique help as yours.”

The young woman could only shake her head at such an overcomplicated answer, and he in return gave the usual glitch filled giggle as if to settle the matter.

“That actually means a lot to me that you think so. I'm having a good time working here, and so even if I can’t get a job at the library or one nearby in the next year I’ll still have Avonlea at least.”

“Wait... Y-You’d stay here even after our deal is done?” The imp asked her quickly in such an uncertain voice that she had to look him straight on to understand just what it was that was bothering him so. “I know this night shift is not the best job in the world by any means... And someone like you would be so much more su-sui-ted to something with keeping and caring for books or actual guarding than just watching over a boring old pizzeri-ri-a...” There was that odd panic spreading itself across his artificial face when he trailed off, and Belle worried that perhaps he was paranoid because he really did want her gone (a thought that made a pang shoot through her chest).

Nervously, his fingers curled and kneaded against his worn orange vest and the leather of his coat-as if hearing her answer meant more to him than she could comprehend.

The truth, whatever it might be, is all that Belle could answer with and so she did, casting out her own fear with the aid of yellow glowing eyes.

“In the beginning I never planned on making this permanent or staying for too long since I thought I'd find another... Better job sooner. But, unless some fantastic opportunity I'd be too dumb to ignore comes here to Storybrooke or nearby in the next year I don’t need to worry about finding something else. I feel at home here in a way... It's strange. Even though I've been here a short while I feel like I'm meant to be here.” 

The animatronic slowly relaxed when she finished talking which let her keen blue eyes rake over his form. That tense rigid body of his had hunched back down, but it was his softened features that left her heart pattering in her chest in a random burst of unexplainable emotion. For Rumplestiltskin was looking at her with hope twitching within his face mechanics, and the young woman understood now that he was glad for her answer that she planned on sticking around. It explained everything from before-like his previous terror at the mentioning of him wanting her to leave and her constant prodding at such a thought.

Another blush forced itself into the beauty's cheeks when she found that she was glad that he wanted her to stay too. 

“Don’t worry Rumple, I’m not going anywhere else and not for a good while anyways. You don't have to worry about being left alone.” Belle informed him bravely while the machine went straight rigid again, flickering his giant bulbous eyes to anywhere else in the break room but her.

“You just do whatever you must honorable knight! It truly doesn't matter to me at all-it's your own fate to decide which is a luxury I do not have.” He huffed in a crackle of showy aggravation from a gust of air deep in his plated throat. "Though I'll only ask that you remember to keep to our deal! Nyeh! Nyeh!” A clawed finger directed its way towards her with small little jabs to push his point.

Belle fought the urge to roll her eyes as she had so many times already but turned from him when the coffee maker beeped that her fresh batch was ready.

“Of course. I have no intention of breaking my promise with you, but I will admit I don’t know how much more of reading nearly six hours straight I can take. And that’s gotta mean something coming from me. I feel like I need to run several laps around Avonlea tonight if it'll get me back to my normal self.”

With a bird like tilt of his head Rumplestiltskin stared at her with a curious expression.

“You're becoming bored of this place.”

“No! I'm not bored of Avonlea or my job, and most definitely not you… I’m just antsy that's all, but don't ask me why because even I'm not sure.” Belle mumbled before she turned back to him after grabbing a mug from one of the cabinets hanging above and pouring coffee into it.

“I figured something was egging you on since you've been squeaking around in your blas-te-ted chair all night.” The animatronic stated with a mocking ring alongside his electronically produced voice. “And yes-I heard you loud and clear earlier dearie, but I was far too engr-oss-ossed at the time to amuse you.”

“So you were purposefully ignoring me-how rude! And my name is Belle for the fifth hundred... Time...” Belle needled him, jabbing her finger into the plush of his vest to push her own point, but she had seen the mischievous look settling across his unique complexion. The lines that made him look older, about forty or fifty or so in her opinion, crinkled about his cheeks and eyes with the wide birth of a toothy smile. “Oh no… I can already see a terrible idea forming there in your processors and I have a feeling I don't want to know what it is!”

The imp was looking nearly as startling as he had when he first appeared to her, but he only asked her but a simple question in bubbling eagerness. “It’s not raining outside perchance is it?”

The auburn haired beauty just quirked a brow at this bizarre inquiry and the odd energy flowing through him all of a sudden.

Belle was positive it wasn't raining. From where she was standing she didn't hear any droplets pounding on the ceiling or roof above, and she was sure it was going to remain rain free tomorrow and the rest of the week. “No… Why does it matter if it's raining or not?”

“What a shame, it would have worked so much better if it was, but nonetheless! I think tonight calls for some special activities for the two of us to engage in. I ask that you return to your office and prepare yourself as I go and collect some things from my hide-awa-away. For then-and only then can it finally begin!” Those hands of Rumplestiltskin's were flying about him now, making Belle almost have to dodge to avoid their flourishes.

Then he was off upon his boot clad feet in a blur before Belle could even stutter out a single syllable much less the word ‘What!’ like she wanted to. The security guard nearly spilt her fresh mug of coffee on her clean white shirt in haste to follow after the crazed machine as he bounded out the open door and into the shadows of the hallway.

“Prepare for what? Rumple? **Rumple!** ” Belle called out when her head peaked over the door frame, but she saw he was already far down the long hallway thanks to the yellow lights beaming from his skull.

“Why! For the greatest battle of all time!”

A surge of giggles echoed eerily through the building as he disappeared entirely, leaving the security guard holding onto the doorway... 

It seemed to Belle as if her animatronic cohort had finally lost his marbles-or whatever remaining chips he had installed for his sanity.

—————

“Rumple… What on earth is going on?” Belle inquired as she stepped into the main open room of Avonlea and looked for the brown wiry haired machine that seemed to keep disappearing on her without warning. Despite having gotten more than used to the building's layout from her many walks through the place there was still a bit of unease that came from turning any corner. This was especially felt in the larger rooms such as the entertainment or dinning area where it felt like anyone could be waiting… Or lurking in the darkness…

A specific green mechanical man came to mind, and it made the beauty frown at what possible hijinks he might be concocting even now.

Belle waited in a spacious spot and glanced about with her handy flashlight till her constant sweeping became tiring. The arcade area next to her timed itself perfectly though and spontaneously came to life when she turned her back to it, gaining her immediate and startled attention. As the lights hanging above turned on arcade games of all sorts buzzed loudly in a parade of sights and sounds. Everything was up and running just like it had been years ago, and it made the smiling young woman endure a little bought of nostalgia from her summer days spent playing most of the exact same machines. Caution still filled her every step when she toed around a large ‘Area 88’ shooter cabinet, but she was gawking about too much to notice the shadowed figure nearing her.

“Shall we begin then!” The high pitched voice of her tricky sorcerer shouted out of the blue right next to her ear.

Belle let out an inelegant yelp and turned sharply on the heel of her boots, nearly falling straight to the floor in her haste and surprise. As she caught her breath-and her footing, Rumplestiltskin emerged from between a row of blinking cabinets. Somehow his presence had gone completely unnoticed by her thanks to her previous fascination, yet he seemed very satisfied with her shocked expression as he shot her a naughty smirk.

The security guard on the other hand was getting tired of the constant heat seeping into her face like the red surely burning there now. “We very well won’t begin this ‘ _great battle_ ’ of yours if you intend to give me a heart attack.”

The animatronic seemed to ignore her reasonable claim as he began to inspect the other rows of arcade games nearby while humming that strange song of his to himself. Frustrated, but mostly intrigued by the oddity of it all, the beauty followed him around till he came to a sudden stop and whirled back towards her.

“Everything is ready, but I think a great battle is not complet-plete without a wager to make it worth while." Rumplestltskin tapped his chin in thought as his face scrunched together. The dark nail made a ‘thap thap thap’ noise against his hull all while he sounded quite convinced his words were making perfect logical sense to the confused human. “But what to wager-what to wager…”

“Rumple…” The beauty groaned in protest.

“Ah! I say a match of five games will work perfec-fect-ly. The winner will be the one with the most wins of course, but the loser will be the one to pay the price-lets say they have to... Do every bidding of the winner for an entire night!”

“Oh!” Belle finally added up what all his strange ramblings from before meant and laughed to herself at the absurd thought of it all. It appeared that Rumplestiltskin was simply challenging her to a round of arcade games for them to play against each other, but one with a high cost for the looser. “So what you’re wanting us to do is play five games in total versus the other, and the winner of the challenge gets the servitude of the other for a night. That actually sounds like a pretty good idea to me, but as I'm sure you already know these machines don’t take quarters but those special tokens Avonlea has.”

“You doubt me so? I've already taken care of it.” Rumplestiltskin proclaimed before he reached into the depths of his jacket and produced a can she knows she has seen before on one of the shelves in his hideout. The aged tin container with a cut out slot at a top rung heavily with the sound of coins when he rattled it about.

“Okay, so you've got the goods, but how do we decide which games to play then?" The beauty asked as her vibrant blue eyes tore away from the container in his hand and back to his smirking metal mug. "It wouldn’t be fair if you got to pick them all and have them be games I’ve never played before.”

Rumplestiltskin set the can on top of a cabinet of ‘Dig Dug’ before he firmly placed his hands on the side of his hips, looking quite offended at the security guard accusing him of such a tactic. Yet, Belle had a sneaking suspicion he had been hoping to out wit her that way from the way he was trying not to smile.

“Fine then, I shall only get to pick two of the games and you will get to pick three of them.” The machine flourished a hand with a bit of theatric flair. “I find it's only fair that you get a handi-di-cap in this battle-I'm not a cruel man after all.”

'What! I'm the one who needs a handicap!' Belle felt her prideful portion of herself being drawn out with his obvious and purposefully teasing, but her mouth moved before she could reign it back in. “Oh please, I played lots of these games all the time as a kid so if you think you’re just going to have an easy win against this knight then think again.”

“Good!” Rumplestiltskin snapped and grinned down at her with all his rotten looking teeth visible, though there was a strange spark in his eyes that the human felt leap across her own. “I quite like a challenge... So what do you say then knight? Do we have a deal?”

“You’ll really do whatever I say for an entire night?” Belle squinted her eyes at him, trying to see if he was holding back even a little.

“On my honor, and only if you win of course.” There was nothing but truth in his words and the tittering note that followed them, but she knew better than to expect him to break such a vow. He valued his promises and his 'deals' more than anything, and it was one of his characteristics she found rather endearing about him and down right frustrating at other times. 

Belle extended her hand to him then, like their first deal, but she didn't have to prompt him this time to react in kind. He hesitantly extended out his own large fearsome hand and shook hers, letting her feel the cold of his metal body which was comfortable in comparison to the heat of the building.

“Let us begin!” He cackled in an eerie broken laugh, and it was then Belle felt the slightest doubt about what she was getting herself into.

—————

Since Rumplestiltskin was graciously letting her decide the first game in their great battle Belle chose to put forth her best pick.

So when they stepped in front of the classic game cabinet the animatronic didn't seem the slightest bit suprised by it. He already knew well enough that Ms. Pacman was her personal favorite and was to be expected. However, the game only allowed one player at a time despite its versus option so they would have to take turns to play as far as they could go with the lives allotted. Once again Belle was given the opportunity to go first when the quip filled imp gave her a teasing bow for her to begin, but she merely smirked confidently back in reply. After pushing the necessary tokens into the coin slot the game started up with the main theme ringing aloud, giving the security guard time to tug her 'Avonlea' vizor tighter against her head.

As her Ms. Pacman gobbled up dots and evaded ghosts the first three levels were over before they knew it.

Back in the day the pace Belle set playing this game would always put some of the other kids to shame or invoke a bit of a crowd to watch her maneuver the joystick as fast as she did. That very same joy stick whirring under her hand right now was just as fast, and her flickering eyes squinted in mild concentration when the levels began to amp up their difficulty. Rumplestiltskin also remained rather quiet till she finally lost her first life by accident at level six. Then he was swiftly snorting to himself which forced the beauty to puff her cheeks up to contain the snarky replies she had in mind before pressing on. The points at the corner of the screen began to stack up in higher quantities as she continued, but another Ms. Pacman bit the dust at level eleven much to her dismay.

It was then that Belle started to sweat a bit.

“Oh dear! Oh dearie dear!” Rumplestiltskin snickered off to the side as he kept close to her to  avidly watch the screen. "Looks like you're running out of precious lives and on such low levels-tsk, tsk!"

Belle would have kicked him straight in the leg then and there if it hadn't meant breaking her steady concentration.

Despite how hard she tried, a bead of sweat had even formed on the bits of her skin exposed to the humid air, the game was all over at level nineteen. Her final Ms. Pacman was lost right when she nearly won the level, and Belle was left to lean over the controls and sigh aloud in defeat. Though she might have been a champ back in the day she started to realize that perhaps her obtained skills that lonely summer had gotten a bit rusty with age. Still, the young woman held her head up with pride, brushed back the locks that had spilt over her shoulders, and moved out of the way for the man shaped machine to have his go around.

“Level nineteen, that's not bad for someone who hasn't played in nearly fourteen years. But it's your turn now so show me what you've got.” The beauty responded with her own theatric gesture for him, yet the small grin Rumplestiltskin bore only widened when he pushed in his tokens and began the game.

When it was all said and done, much to Belle's utter shock, his final Ms. Pac man died at level forty four.

Belle stood there in place, having seen the entirety of this madness that was his game, feeling speechless and unable to comprehend the level of skill she had been witness to. He had made his point well and clear when he reached level twenty without loosing a life that there was no beating him when it came to this, but he had seemed so determined to continue on that Belle hadn't said anything to distract him. Yet, disappointment settled into the frown he wore when the screen called 'GAME OVER', and with his loss he finally turned to look down at her for the first time in over twenty minutes.

“I don’t play Ms. Pac man often enough to get very far, and it was start-art-ing to get boring there too.” He remarked with a shy shrug of his odd shoulders that clacked with the movement.

“That… That was still so incredible though! I've never seen someone in real life get that far in the game before!” Belle admitted to him openly, and she didn't miss the swell of pride that visibly overtook the animatronic with how his eyebrows flew on their tracks and his eyes shimmered. At that point it was too late to take it back, and thanks to her blunt praising she knew his gloating from now on would only grow worse if he kept winning. Yet, seeing him look truly happy with her like this was kind of... Nice. It really was.

Perhaps she should encourage him to do his best in the next game too, and- 

‘No! Don’t over inflate the ego of your opponent! Remember what's at stake here Belle! Your pride and dignity!’ Her mind roared in response, and she stiffly stuck her hands at her hips when the imp was done beaming and snickering to himself over his victory. “Okay, first win is yours fair and square sorcerer, but it's far from over yet, and it’s your turn to pick the game. There's no way I'm going to loose to you in this round!”

"We'll just have to wait and see about that, dearie." The machine retorted, before snatching his can of tokens sitting on top the cabinet and slinking away to let the security guard follow after.

Rumplestiltskin didn't take long at all to decide upon their next challenge as he lead her straight through the arcade area and right to a machine she was by. The cabinet displayed the forms of two animated looking fighters crossing paths on its sides, also blazing in a bold font the title 'Street Fighter' at the top, and then sporting a set of multiple buttons and joysticks for two players. Belle understood this go around would be a true 'versus' match between them, and that she was really going to feel the heat turn up in the already far too warm room.

All the buttons and combos listed on the panel was a bit confusing for the security guard at first, but her animatronic cohort actually stopped to explain the overall way to play the game, something she appreciated greatly. After they both feed the hungry machine the necessary tokens they selected their fighters from the menu screen before their first match began its countdown. Belle couldn't help but hunker down over the joystick and buttons, readying herself to smack them with all her might as soon as they began, and as if feeling intimidated by her reaction Rumplestiltskin did the same exact thing. When the announcer declared the match to start it was immediately an array of button clashing from both sides, both of them slamming away at the panel in hopes sheer force would give them an advantage.

As they started to understand the functions for each of their fighters they became more focused on besting the other, and soon the trash talking quietly snuck its way into their playing.

“What were you expect-pect-ing to do with that move, dearie! It hardly did any damage at all-you're supposed to knock my character out not bore him to death!” Rumplestiltskin snickered from his little space huddled next to her, but as he did so Belle’s ninja like character leapt forward and took his big necromancer like character down with a series of hard hitting combos, sweeping his fighter to the floor. The imp literally growled inhumanly in response, and the security guard couldn't help but smirk at the blaring screen as she flung her own quips right back at him.

“Hah! You can’t move fast enough against me, you should have picked a better character. Then again you could have played any character at all and I'd still beat you.”

Abruptly Rumplestiltskin's character knocked hers into the air and did a barrage of midair combos that took a good chunk of her life bar, leaving her to clamp her mouth shut again and ignore the return of his smirk.

"You haven't beat me yet, and I'll be sure to remind you of said blunder when I've won, because un-luck-luckily for you I don't forget!"

The silence, save for their hands smacking the buttons and the joysticks 'clattering', settled its way in between them as time progressed and the stakes raised. Yet, after a single win each, the final match of their Street Fighter challenge ended with Belle's character 'K.O.ing' Rumplestiltskin's within the last ten seconds, crowning her the victor.

“Humph!” Rumplestiltskin puffed out a gust of air from within his metal throat when Belle's side of the screen lit up with her win. “I’ve never played against a human before, only the CPU, so I simply underest-est-imated you on this one.”

“Rightttt… Guess the CPU's just not as good as the real thing then.” Belle replied in sarcasm before she wiped at the fair amount of sweat that had formed on her forehead within the time they'd been playing. The cold wet sensation made her frown in disgust but also made her realize she had actually gotten worked up in the whole ordeal, allowing her mind to come to the conclusion that she was facing a 'handicap' in comparison to the mechanical man. ‘Good grief, I'm already getting worn out, but he’s not tired at all since he’s not a living creature like me. He might beat me simply because of his infinite stamina… I’ve got to rethink this next battle between us carefully!’

Suddenly Belle stopped in place, looking a bit lost with her lip stuck between her teeth in thought, but then she began laughing while hastily trying to cover up the embarrassing sound with her hands. Her unexpected laughter startled the poor animatronic still beside her and caused him to whirl about on his hefty limbs to stare at her in wide eyed confusion. It took her a moment to get herself back together, for the slight film of water at her eyes had made the leather clad imp a blurry figure within her vision and her heavy breathing a bit wayward from the lack of air.

“What’s so funny? If you even think I’m thr-row-owing in the towel yet you are sorely mistaken!” Rumplestiltskin fumed, but Belle waved a hand at him as her ability to construct proper sentences returned with her sanity.

“No-it’s just-hahaha! I was actually starting to think this was some great battle going on between us! Just now I was strategizing in hopes to find a way to beat you-hehehee!” She explained as she snorted happily at her current silliness-no at  _their_ complete utter silliness with this whole thing. Rumplestiltskin seemed to understand as well for a moment later he was smiling painfully wide too and emitting a short bark of a laugh that was his strangest one yet. Before Belle, with her face as red as her very bow tie, could return to her normal self she felt his hand in the form of a solid pat on her back. The act alone had surprised her enough, but he did so even further when he didn't seem to recoil at the fact that he had willingly touched her.

“Have your fun there while you can, but as you’re laughing yourself pink I’m prepar-par-ing a list of chores for you to do after this is all over.” The machine chirped in warning.

His reminder of the price the looser would soon be facing returned Belle's focus to the stakes at hand, but it also helped her devise a plan to ensure her overall victory. With her taking the lead once more she pulled Rumplestiltskin by the cuff of his leather coat towards the back corner of the arcade where a row of the same machine standing side by side awaited any players. They were Skee ball machines-an arcade classic which the game's flickering sign read above, and she knew it was still technically a ‘game’ in an ‘arcade’ so it was allowable by his few established rules.

However, Rumplestiltskin did not look happy with her choice as he practically glowered at the sight of them.

"Okay this is easy enough. The person with the highest score is the winner of this round, and I'll go first this time since you don't seem so eager." The beauty explained as she swiped his can from his clawed segmented fingers that quickly recoiled into his palm.

“Curses… Skee ball? Who choses a game like that? Hardly a challenging concept...” Rumplestiltskin whispered to himself as if it had been in his head, but Belle heard his grumbling loud and clear and merely shook her head at him. The animatronic stood back a bit as she feed the machine the necessary tokens, which dropped the balls down the shoot attached on the side, and lined herself up with the flat portion of the ramp. With one of the semi heavy balls in hand she curled it back and then gave a hefty toss forward, making the ball clatter loudly as it rolled across the metal slope.

It jumped up wildly, bumped against one of the jutting holes from the back, and then fell into one, earning the security guard her first ten points.

Once again it'd been a while since she played these, but she'd get back into the hang of it and smoke him this round too.

“Don't worry I’m done warming up now.” Belle raised a brow to the imp behind her before she threw another ball, and then another, and then another, till all nine were gone. By the end she was even more tired with how much concentration this game actually required, and she was left to stand and await the final score to flash across the electronic scoreboard.

When it's registered her hit it displayed a bright ‘200’ for them all to see.

Belle shot Rumplestiltskin a content smile when she stepped aside to let him take her place at the ramp, though he didn't return her expression with a smirk or anything. As he awaited his nine skee balls to clatter down into their spot in the shoot he glanced at her with a slightly nervous look. Yet, he reached over to pick up the first ball anyways, rolling it in his hands to examine it, and then with care stepped back while rotating his jointed limb to begin his onslaught.

And it was literally nearly a slaughter.

“WOAH!” Belle yelped loudly for the second time that night, though this time was more frightening than the first. The ball in a blinding blur of speed had shot across the skee lane, right up to the top of the machine and ricocheted right off of it-blasting an inch past her to fly into the corner of the room between two sets of racing games. When the loud sound faded from her ears the frazzled security guard unfurled from herself and shot the sheepish-mostly embarrassed looking animatronic a rather puzzled look in hopes of an explanation. Rumplestiltskin flexed his long metal digits in slow flicks, making them click against one another, as he stared at them before he simply reached over for another ball from the buzzing machine.

“I... I forg-get my strength sometimes. It's hard to tell when you can't feel things.” He explained in a hushed tone, avoiding her gaze and making Belle have to strain to hear him this time. His sudden shift in mood worried her a bit, but she set her hands on her hips and gave a soft sigh before speaking up. 

“It's okay, but just don’t go breaking anything please. I don't have any excuse to give to Marco if something were to end up with a lodged skee ball in it.” Belle warned with a light smile and the machine nodded in understanding, choosing to take it a lot easier during his next eight tosses.

When he was all done the game's scoreboard flickered a bit and then displayed his final score of ‘140’.

“I did worse than I thought. This game is quite harder than it looks.” Rumplestiltskin mumbled to himself again at another defeat before he turned to her, clearly not happy that she was now in the lead with her two wins versus his single one.

“That is true. I bet you’d have to practice quite a bit and do it on a frequent basis to be any good at a game like this. I take it then that you have not played this very much?” Belle asked her cohort lingering by once she had picked up the lost and neglected skee ball from the corner and finished his game by rolling it into the bottom opening.

“It’s… It’s more of a game for two people to enjoy really. I’ve never been interested since it's just... Who do I have to impress after all?” The imp was not even glancing at her now, but Belle could feel a sorrow from deep within in him despite the facade he put forth with his body language and his tittering.

"You’ve been playing these games for years all by yourself… With no one to enjoy them with.” Belle gently stated the obvious truth, but it hurt her far more than she thought it would with how hard her heart clenched beneath her breast. If this was his first time ever playing with anyone-then she would make sure they would play more games he'd never had the chance to enjoy! A surge of delight seeped through the pain and made her words gush out as she drew closer to him. “You should pick another one like this! So you can play all the games you couldn't before-it'll be fun!”

“What?” He craned his head towards her, and his scaly features squished together upon his silicone face in confusion. “That's not going to happen! If I want to beat you I’ve got to pull out my next best hand, and that is going to be a game I know I can beat you at without even batting an eye."

Belle just rolled her eyes at him for the umpteenth time that night.

But it was their fourth round already, and though she had been preparing herself for Rumplestiltskin's next challenge she hadn't quite been prepared for... This.

“What on earth is... Honestly I've never played this game-I haven't even seen it before.” Belle stared at the bizarre looking and unfamiliar arcade game her foe had lead her to with genuine curiosity. The external form of the machine displayed the images of a pixel looking chef of sorts being chased about by hot dogs and other foods, which was not a very reminiscent sight with her childhood memories about Avonlea. It must have been an older game Mr. Getto got later on she decided, but from the looks of it, with how Rumplestiltskin lovingly patted the case, it had been around long enough to mean something to him.

“Don’t judge the game by the cabinet, dearie. Hamburger Time is my all time favorite.” Rumplestiltskin eagerly told her after inserting his tokens, and Belle was not going to stop him from being first to play this time. It seemed the concept of the game was simple and rather ridiculous as he explained it, but then again Ms. Pac Man didn't make complete sense either the beauty realized. The little chef character he was playing as would go around on ladders to various platforms to knock down parts that made up a hamburger till all four hamburgers at the bottom were complete. But this all happened while the chef was being constantly chased around by walking hot dogs, a freaky egg, and a… pickle.

“The pickle has always been my favorite.” Rumplestiltskin giggled brokenly after his random statement, and Belle could only wonder in motherly worry about him more and more. “If I could somehow eat even one food-and taste it too, I’d def-init-initely eat a pickle.”

“You’re just speaking nonsense now, but I will say that pickles are quite delicious.” Belle couldn't help but chuckle with him while she watched him happily play his game with the upmost focus. “That egg on the other hand is kind of scary looki-Ah! Look out!” A warning cry ripped out of Belle's throat seeing the little chef about to be cornered by his food foes, but Rumplestiltskin easily used a pepper shot to take one out and escape with his life. 

It also appeared that the game consisted of only six levels, and Rumplestiltskin beat it in its entirety before she had time to gain a proper grasp of how to best play it herself. Despite knowing this was a battle she was more than likely not going to win she took his place when he was done to attempt beating him with some dignity and honor. As soon as the game began she was a warbling mess though, frantically trying to figure out the best way to survive, and the impish machine beside her gave her tips and tricks amongst her fretting.

She lost at level two unfortunately.

“This is so much harder than it looks!” The young woman whined, repeating what Rumplestiltskin had said from before, but the imp didn't jump up and down with glee at her loss. No, he softly smiled at her and whirled about his energetic hands as he leaned towards her.

“Ah, don't feel bad it is a pretty hard game. The trick to it is to save your pepper shots for all their wo-or-rth, that is easier said than done I suppose.”

“You _suppose_? Still, I've decided that I'm going to beat this game some day if only just for my own sake and pride.” Belle huffed at the cabinet that beeped its delightful song at her as if in its own form of mockery. Accepting her loss for now she turned back to the animatronic as her eyes alighted with a burning fire upon the realization they were both tied now with two points each. “Seems we’ve reached the last game of our challenge with a tie, and I get to pick the decider.”

He agreed with a half hearted grunt, as if he knew she would pick something he had been incapable of ever playing on his own.

And he was right, as Belle had already known from their Skee ball round just what game she was going to pick. But despite wanting to win this wager and earn his 'servitude' for a whole night she had a completely different goal in mind now. There were things far better than getting him to do whatever she wanted-which wasn't what she  _wanted_ , and so she pulled him along again for them to face the final battle.

It was a table spaced out differently then all the others, the game who would decide who would reign as champion was all down to a two player favorite...

Air Hockey.

“Now this is completely unfair!” Rumplestiltskin grouched worse than before as the security guard inserted the required amount of coins to start the table, release the puck, and allow a current of air to smooth down the friction of its surface.

“You’ve never played air hockey before I know, I know-but it’s a super easy game to understand so don't doubt yourself.”

“You still have more practice than me… What a disho-nora-norable knight you're truly turning out to be!”

“Says the burger time champion who willingly gave me this handicap in the first place.” Belle retorted before placing the puck on the table and wielding her mallet about with a grace she didn’t realize she had. “Now, a few rules before we start. Keep your mallet on the table at all times if you want to win.” Rumplestiltskin's deep scowl shifted into a serious look as he gripped his mallet tightly and set it against the table top. “Next rule-don’t purposefully try to hit the puck so hard that you send it flying off that it ends up smacking me in the face. The goal is in the opponents slot, and I’ve already got one scar from here which alone is one to many.”

“Okay-okay. I'll be more... Gentle.” He meekly replied, and Belle watched as he hunched towards himself and mumbled softly, making her strain to no avail to hear what he was saying. Yet, she found that she was more nervous than when she first thought of picking this game somehow with how unsure her competition was.

‘If he hits it as hard as he throws his Skee balls I really might not survive this...’ Belle mused to herself, but she shook off any remaining doubts or worries trying to force their way in. He might not have the best sense of control, but the young woman knew that the mechanical man shyly clutched towards himself would never harm her out of spite or with ill intention in mind. That didn't change the fact that an accident might occur though with their unusual combined luck and his inhuman strength, but that was a risk she was willing to take for them both.

Belle held up her finger to redraw his diverted attention so she could finish telling him the rules. “Lastly, first person to ten points wins, and thus the victor of our wager will be decided.”

With that, Belle set the puck down in the middle of the table and pulled back to her end. Both of them poised themselves like crouching predators with their prey of choice being the little red puck till Belle started the countdown.

“One… Two…" She licked her lips once before a wide smile spread across her lips. "Three!”

In an instant Belle whirled her hand forward and smacked her mallet straight into the puck, sending it flying against the side of the table. It went whirling right under Rumplestiltskin’s outstretched arm that hadn't yet recoiled from the middle as it flew into his slot.

“Aha! First point is mine!” The beauty beamed while she moved her arms around in a circle, humoring her win with a whimsical dance.

Rumplestiltskin however, remained absolutely quiet, and then as if in an after thought retrieved the puck from his goal to set back in the middle of the table. His reaction was mildly strange-as strange as someone as strange as him could be, Belle dully noted, but she ignored it to count down again.

They went again instantly after the drop of 'three', but Belle was faster once again and managed to hit the puck off the lower side of the table. Rumplestiltskin moved quickly enough this time around to send it away from his goal, but the hit wasn’t hard enough to snake around Belle's reach. With viper like movement Belle shot the puck back to him, spiraling it further down the wall and into his slot once more.

They went at it again, and again, and again... Yet, Belle started to piece together that something really odd was going on with her animatronic companion by the time she was at six points without any trouble and Rumplestiltskin stuck at zero. Another theory came into her clever mind, something that made her previous smiles of delight and joy thin away, and she knew just what to do to test it. 

The security guard set the puck down just the same before pulling back and awaiting for the silent imp to be ready-though in her opinion he hardly looked even 'alive' at that point.

"One… Two… Three!” Belle declared, her voice echoing around them in the high ceiling space.

The both of them swung their hands forward, moving towards the puck in a chase to be first, but Belle's hand jerked back at the very last second, missing it entirely. Unsurprisingly the golden green hand frilled by the ends of his silk shirt launched forward only to do the same exact thing. Rumplestiltskin's hand stopped just an inch shy, though his reaction was more surprised than hers at the turn out. Together the two of them just stared at one another from across the table as the puck slowly slid towards Belle's side.

“Why... Why aren’t you trying to play?” Belle pouted at him after a lull of awkward silence. She wasn't happy at all he seemed to be purposefully forfeiting the game for whatever reason he had going on in his whirling processors.

“I… I-just-I can't...” Rumplestiltskin tried to explain, but his stuttering voice dropped off despite his maw still hanging wide open. “I don’t see much po-oin-int in this game-it's... I don't want to play this anymore.”

“I know you haven’t played it ever before, but this is fun right? I mean... I wanted you to be having fun-that's the only reason I picked this game. I wanted you to enjoy things you hadn't before with me because I thought it'd make you happy.” Belle realized she was just as stuck trying to explain herself too. The whole challenge-playing these games together was starting to feel pointless now. Any possible win she might achieve would be hollow as well if he wasn’t wanting to try, but more importantly if he wasn't even having a good time with her. 

“No… I… Belle... I really am enjoying this... I haven't felt this way...” His voice crackled slightly as once again that meek more sensitive side was being brought out of him-the bit of personality that didn't fit up with the sly mischievous imp he paraded around in with his elaborate costume and showy hand gestures. “I’m just not good at hold-olding back my strength-nor my temper as you already know.” The beauty stilled at his words, but she couldn't see exactly how he was feeling with his face hidden behind a curtain of wiry brown grayish hair. “I’m not meant to interact with people like this-I shouldn't... I'm worried that somehow I’ll crush your... Your hand, or that I'll get you really hurt for sure.”

The young woman's heart jolted inside her ribs at the sheer shame she heard coming from him in his admittance. He'd been worried this entire game about her-he'd been so fearful about hurting her in any way that he was willing to loose it all just so she would be safe.

“Hey now, everything will be fine. I’m a lot tougher than I look.” Belle informed him, and her gentle words allowed her to see his face finally after he raised his head. “Besides, I was born and brought up for quite a few years of my life in Australia after all, so I can handle anything you throw my way. Or perhaps…” The last part trailed off, sounding a bit playful, and this change in her tone caught his immediate attention. “You just really want to be my servant and don't want to admit it. Maybe if I do win you’ll be a good foot rest for me to relax my weary legs on tomorrow as I read a book and lounge the night away.”

Rumplestiltskin gaped at her wider than before, seemingly mortified (and flustered it almost seemed) at the thought (which was an act she’d never make the machine endure). 

“I-I might be a machine, but I'm not a piece of fur-ur-niture! You wouldn't make me do that... Would you?" For all his huffing he sounded so unsure as he looked at her warily from across the table.

“Who knows-only way it's not going to happen for sure is if you win, which means you're going to have to play for real against me.” Belle teased him in response, feeling an eagerness to play with him winning out over her previous desires to beat him in their silly challenge. At that Rumplestiltskin pushed out a gust of air from the parts in his neck and placed his mallet firmly on the table, letting her see how his eyes alighted with a fire much like hers. Confidently she placed the runaway puck back into the center of the table and kept her gaze locked with the machine's.

Belle's voice began another countdown, filling the room with tension at each word. “One… Two… Three!”

They both went at it with alarming speed, but this time Rumplestiltskin blew past her and hit the puck hard first, bouncing it off her own mallet and straight into Belle's slot. Belle was left to blink as she took in what just happened as the table score board flickered with the results-the game was set at ‘six to one’. As if she wasn't already sweating enough the security guard retrieved the puck and set it back, taking note of the berth of the animatronic's lopsided smile.

For Belle the simple game of air hockey truly began to feel like the final battle to end all battles. 

Belle’s previous overkill was starting to dwindle now that her opponent was playing for real, and the score now was changing rapidly. Before she could properly understand what was happening it was 'two to six', then 'three to seven', and then after a constant barrage of mallet swinging the score went all the way to 'nine to nine'. At this point Belle, still all too human, was getting exhausted with the constant movement of her arms and Rumplestiltskin’s endless ferocious attacks.

“Now-this-seems really unfair!” Belle muttered between breaths as she defended her slot against another brutal hit from the constantly grinning imp.

“Now-now-you picked the game remember that! How funny-that this game would become your own foil!” He tittered while the young woman struck the puck back, but it was just a second short of victory from making it into his slot. “Don’t be a sore loser once this is over, I'll treat you fairly as my servant.”

“As if! That’s what I’m going to be telling you in just a few seconds.” Belle boasted as another powerful hit flew her way, but her mind was set on getting that final score with everything she had left. They fought viciously near the middle of the table with the importance of this score weighing down on them both. When a chance sprung up at Belle while Rumplestiltskin’s arm was just an inch withdrawn she took the plunge without hesitation.

 _POW!_  It shot off like a rocket from the collision-possibly the fastest hit either one of them had yet! The puck was going to go in for the final point-

‘CRACK!’ Rumplestiltskin hit it back at the last second, and slipped it under her arm right to the area of her slot. To her dismay, his victory was at last at hand.

Except the puck spinning out of control bounced off the very corner of her goal, hard enough to gain air.

And then flew straight into her chin with a mighty-

_**WHACK!** _

Belle had no recovery time from such an incredible hit, so after the puck smashed itself right into the bottom of her jaw it sent her stumbling down to the cold hard ground.

“BELLE!” Rumplestiltskin cried out immediately in fear as the puck ricocheted off her face and across the tiled floor to disappear somewhere beyond the arcade. “Belle! Oh-N-no no no no! Belle!”

The security guard could hear his broken sputtering as she laid sprawled out on the floor, but it was hard to pay attention with her head swirling and twirling like the puck struck across the table mere moments ago. A sharp jolt of pain shot up her jaw when she moved it ever so slightly, and Belle could only whimper pitifully when she cradled her throbbing face.

However, the mechanical man was next to her before the injured beauty could comprehended it. Leaning over her on his knees Rumplestiltskin stared down at her with a look of terror smeared across his artificial features. Belle could only describe his expression as if he felt she was lying on her death bed and he the culprit which caused a small gurgle of a laugh to bubble in the back of her throat. It was quickly killed by the pain which made her close her eyes briefly, and Belle waved a hand in hopes to pacify him.

“I’m okay… I'm okay.” She mumbled, having to be careful with her words least they hurt her further. One of her eyes opened to glance back at the machine hovering above her in worry and trembling like a frail leaf in a storm. It was then she noticed something that he had cried out to her… Something that pushed out any thoughts of pain for a single sole moment. 

"Belle-I'm so sorry-I didn't mean-I didn't mean to-"

“Hey…You said my name.”

Rumplestiltskin stilled and only moved when he blinked owlishly at her.

“I’m glad you finally remembered it-oh ow! That really really smarts-son of a...” She groaned out softly again before managing to sit up to tentatively poke her chin which was pulsing in pain with the beat of her heart.

“This is exactly what I was af-afra-raid of…” Rumplestiltskin stammered in a tiny voice. The young woman finally saw that he was acting as if he wanted to reach his metal hands towards her, maybe hold her and give some form of comfort, but he just didn't know how to. “People al-wa-ways get hurt around me...”

Belle winced again upon another throb of pain but turned herself towards the animatronic man, eyeing him carefully as they sat there upon the floor. It was ever so clear to her that he was very much afraid-but not just now, he was constantly fearful of things all the time no matter the facade he put forth. Yet the young woman couldn't help but find it completely strange to see a fearsome machine so afraid to be near human beings when he was created to do just that-he was a complete conundrum within himself. These fears were understandable though, people just like her lived everyday afraid of accidentally hurting another human or being hurt in the process... But she couldn't imagine being so terrified of such a possibility that she would hide away never to see the light of day.

This machine was turning out to be far more human like than he knew, and Belle realized right then that she couldn't see him as anything less. Her breathing grew a bit ragged as her heart pounded faster, because she knew now that she couldn't leave him all alone in Avonlea even after she left, she couldn't simply abandon him to be swallowed up by Avonlea's shadows.

“Hey, Rumple it’s okay, please calm down.” Belle said before she reached up a hand and flicked Rumplestiltskin right in the chin where she had been hit. Her finger caused a small reverberation upon hitting the metal and material of his face, but the clack of his eyes rotating on their pivots signified she had his full attention. “You warned me that I might get hurt, and I didn’t listen to you, but you know what… I’ve had a really fun time tonight with you. It was probably the most fun I’ve had in a long while, and so the bruise I'm going to have was well worth it.”

“Y... You’re sure you're not mad at me?” He sounded just like her a few days ago, though his body seemed to stop rattling so hard.

“No, of course not-it's not like you did it on purpose. Accidents do happen, even for animatronics.”

“Are you sure you’re alright? Here let me help you up-” Rumplestiltskin kept questioning as he got to his feet and held out his hand for her to take. Instantly he flinched back at the sight of his outstretched fingers, as if regretting to offer his hand to her least he harm her further, but he didn't pull away. Gladly Belle took it and hoisted herself back up to her own set of feet to cradle her jaw, though she barely managed to fight back a tear. “Let me go and get you some ice-I can’t have you crying. That’s a rule here at Avonlea after all-no crying, nyeh!” The clever trickster was back in place as he spoke, but she had to gently laugh at his poorly formed excuse to care for her.

He left the arcade after making sure she was at least steady on her own feet, and Belle craned her head around after he was gone to try and find the runaway puck. Searching lead her to eventually finding it hidden underneath a 'Super Mario Brothers' cabinet at the other end of the room, but when the beauty picked it up she recalled there was one last thing she had to do. 

They had a game to finish after all.

It didn't take very long before Rumplestiltskin returned, scampering into the arcade, and he quickly extended an ice pack wrapped in a rag towards her. The security guard pulled away from the air hockey table quickly so he wouldn't notice what she'd just done as she faced him.

“Here-I know this trick helps you humans with swell-well-ing.” The imp gently placed the cold rag in her palm, lifting both their touching fingers towards her face to help hold it against her chin. Just as before this very night Belle felt her heart begin to quicken its pace in an odd and alarming manner beneath her ribcage. With the silence settled between them and the warm spark dancing across his unique eyes the machine before her suddenly seemed even less of a machine somehow.

What was even more surprising to Belle was that she didn't mind she was starting to forget that he wasn't human. 

“Better?” His curious voice withdrew her back out of her thoughts. 

“Better.” She replied with a soft smile, yet the heat flaring across her face was not because of the pain.

“Y-You look flush are you sure? Do you need to sit down a moment?” Rumplestiltskin's continued to pelt her with verbal worries though she brushed them off without any hesitation. That seemed to satisfy him with how he finally released his equally cool yet comforting touch upon her hand and ice pack before taking a few steps back.“I suppose this means we should cancel the wager.... I can’t compete with someone with a physical handi-di-cap on top of another one.”

“Hey! I could still take you on thank you very much.” Belle exclaimed as she eyed him, though she just as swiftly shrugged as if there was no issue. “But the game is already over so there’s no point on worrying about it.”

“What are you talking about? There’s one point left to go.” The machine squabbled, but Belle was already taking hold of his arm and directing his attention to the air hockey table. A dainty finger pointed towards the scoreboard, which he peered at, reading ‘nine to ten’ with Rumplestiltskin’s side the winning one. “What… But I didn't... But I knocked it off the table-you went and put it in your own goal! That’s-that’s not fair!”

“You should have won, it would have went in if we hadn't got so worked up about playing.”

His facial mechanics clicked as they worked to make his lips twist into a frustrated frown. “But it didn’t! I'm not going to make you serve me knowing it was a fluke... I... I don't want you to!”

“Guess we’ll simply have to call this a draw and have another go around at it then.” The security guard poked the exposed bit of his chest with her free hand, causing his limbs held out at his sides to freeze in their erratic movements. “But not tonight… I’m honestly worn out after all that, and I think I'd very much like for us to go back to reading in my office now-ow ow.” Pain flashed through her jaw after moving it too far, and Belle gently cupped her wound again she while she looked at Rumplestiltskin sheepishly.

But he... He was just looking at her once again with that strange awed look.

“If you really want to we could do this… Every other week-if you’d like. I’ve got plenty of tokens saved.” He said as he hurriedly grabbed for his tin can and cradled it to him as if it was now some holy treasure.

“I would love that.” Belle grinned before grimacing a bit, but her curious mind couldn't help but ask of him something too. “Perhaps next time you could help me out with Burger Time as well?”

“Of course, I would like that very much.” Rumplestiltskin hummed contently, looking far more pleased than she'd seen this entire night which made her own happiness grow. Together this time they shut the arcade back down, the beeping and clash of tunes and music faded into the silence as the lights blinked out into darkness. The two of them remained side by side though, with her leading the way thanks to her flashlight, as they headed to her office to settle down once more. A lull of quiet snuck in between them, and the security guard bit at her lip as she and the animatronic kept glancing shyly at one another.

“I had fun and... I can't remember the last time I did... I just know it's been a very, very, long time.” He stated without the usual sarcasm or barbs backing up his impish tone, but Belle appreciated his truthfulness more than he probably could guess or know. It'd been a long time since someone had this much fun with her as well, and it meant so much to her that this strange one of a kind being found her company enjoyable. Perhaps maybe... He could even one day think of her as his friend-she'd like that very much.

“Me either... It's a nice change.” Belle quietly said, catching his eyes yellow glow softly dancing across her skin as he gazed at her before looking away.

They reached her office shortly, and Belle staggered through the door and sighed in relief at seeing her chair before plopping herself heavily down into it. The single cup of coffee fueling her veins had long worn out its effects, though sadly it was only four am and there was still two hours more to go. She was going to need more to make it to six am a mostly functioning human being. Sighing out loud and failing to notice her companion had slipped back into the hallway the beauty picked up her book, kept her ice pack against her face, and flipped it open to where she left off. Yet, she was still too energized to focus on the text, and part of her couldn't help but want to for some reason make sure the mechanical man was alright.

She barely got through two pages before swiveling in her seat, though she came face to face with an unexpected sight. The imp was right beside her, he must have snuck about silently in that bizarre manner of his, and she watched as he brought something closer to her.

“Here. I remember how you made it from earlier.” Rumplestiltskin sat down a mug of fresh coffee right next to her elbow, it seemed to be a new batch with how steam trailed up from its contents.

“Thank you… That was sweet of you, you didn't have to go and do that for me.” Belle replied before cupping her hands around the warm piece of ceramic and savoring the drifting hazelnut smell that was far more delicious when one was tired. 

Rumplestiltskin recoiled from her after that, bearing her a toothy monstrous grin to try and frighten her, but it was nothing but adorable to her anymore. “Nonsense-simply fair for me to do upon our draw after all. Plus I can't have the night guard passing out and not doing her job." Even with him spouting more of his obvious excuses she was still quite pleased-he was much more perceptive than most people and must have seen how exhausted she was.

Belle went about blowing on her drink before taking a satisfied sip and watched as the machine settled back down against the wall, slip out, and plug his set of wires back into the outlet before picking up his own book to read. His presence and the fact he was physically right there in case she needed him was soothing her once again... Tonight she'd felt cooped and cramped up with Avonlea's stuffy walls, even uncomfortable, but with ease he'd helped calm her down, had made her laugh and smile, and she had done the same for him. There was no denying that the tiny security guard was feeling her fondness for the abandoned machine deepening with each passing night, and now she was certain of one thing.

A smirk pushed against Belle's cheeks, but she hid it within the pages of her book so he couldn't see her delight. 

Rumplestiltskin, despite whatever he was-machine or something more, was without a single doubt her friend.

—————

Six in the morning rolled around the corner before she knew it-once again time had gone past her without any notice.

The ever faithful clock above her desk chimed at her just as she was finishing packing up her few things-lastly her book she'd been so close to finishing. In that amount of time Rumplestiltskin had already exited her office to put his borrowed book and can of tokens away while she was preparing to depart like every night. Part of Belle wondered if he'd see her out like he usually did-or as he pretended to conveniently 'meet up' with her, and she was pleased to hear the hallway filled with both of their steps as she approached the back door.

“Thanks for the ice pack again, it really helped.” The young woman spoke when Rumplestiltskin rounded the intersections corner, but he kept back at the edge to hide himself from sight (there were some habits the machine seemed not as keen yet to break).

“Think nothing of it.” He waved her off, scrunching up the flesh around his nose as if her thanks was not required.

“Hey Rumple, can I ask you something? It might sound odd, but it's been some I've been very curious about...” Belle made sure she worded herself carefully, speaking slowly to make sure he didn't jump to any conclusions about what she might be trying to pry into. The tactic worked just like she expected it to as the animatronic stepped forth from his shadowed sanctuary and towards her, eyeing her curiously but with a new level of trust he was starting to reveal. A few more steps were all she needed before he was right where she wanted him to be, and so she made the move before her bravery was cut short by her rational portion of mind and before Rumplestiltskin could retreat.

Throwing her arms out Belle encircled the machine around his collared shoulder and tightly pressed his body close into her own. An ever so soft gasp crackled from his throat at the hug, and underneath her arms and form she could feel him stiffen and still-even most of the parts usually clacking away inside of him seemed to stop and grow utterly silent. It wasn't the first time she'd been this close to him, but this time her nose was brushed against his neck and vest which let her find that the machine did have a scent. It wasn't an entirely unpleasant one either. He smelt of mechanical oil and a bit of collected dust, but it was strangely comforting just like the warmth his upper body produced despite how cold the rest of him was.

She didn't keep him her prisoner for too long and soon released him, slipping her arms down the lapels of his coat to smile up at him. That nervous smile dropped as her clear blue eyes took in his reaction. Perhaps she should have forewarned him what she intended to do for his arms were frozen at his sides and the mechanical man was staring down at her, locked in a perpetual gaze of surprise that unfortunately looked more like him silently screaming because of his unnatural jaw.

It must have been the first hug he'd ever had with how confused he looked, and it made Belle blush at her brashness to do such a thing.

“Do you have a favorite color by chance? That was what I was wanting to ask you.” Belle abruptly asked, in hopes to restart him or bring him back since he looked like he might be malfunctioning. 

He regained him himself at that with how his eyelids clicked and his arms coiled towards his chest, but he couldn't seem to talk straight away. With a hesitant shrug he hunched even closer to himself as he replied.

“I-I-I've al-always quite liked… P-Purple, I guess.”

“Hmmm... That's a suiting color for a powerful and mysterious sorcerer. I'll keep that in mind..." Belle whispered. "Good night then, Rumple. I'll see you tomorrow.”

“Ah, good night… Belle.” He whispered back as his segmented hands twitched sporadically, but he looked more lost than she'd ever seen before.

A few moments of this went on before Belle managed to break away to open the back door and close it after seeing him turn away and slowly wander back into the inky shadows that swallowed him up. For some reason that sight made something inside her crumble... In the corner of her eyes tears pebbled up, and the urge to free them grew as strong as the urge to open the door and call out to the machine. The heavy moisture was pushed back when she forced herself away after locking the building up and headed towards her car. She was alone again out here in the world beyond, separated by simple piece of wood from the one person who had made her previous anxiousness subside so easily.

Sure enough the antsy feelings from before came back when she got inside her vehicle, but even now she still had no clue why she felt this odd... Feeling.

There were far more things to be worried about than some unexplained thing nagging at her, and Belle tugged at her jacket figuring she was just tired and worn out after a long night. With a bit of rest, food, and relaxation at home she was sure she would return to normal-though normal was so far from her grasp anymore. And so with a turn of her key the car's engine roared to life before she began to drive away from Avonlea. The sun had already begun to descend upon the earth, illuminating the streets well enough that her small white car didn’t even need her bright head lights on for her to see.

Even with such visibility one street away she didn't even notice a white van sitting idly by, planted in the direction of the family fun center. When Belle passed by and disappeared down another street, heading towards down town to her apartment, the headlights of the van sparked to life.

It stalled a few moments more as the engine purred before turning into the street and pulling a ‘u’ to head back the other way.

And it too disappeared from Avonlea’s sight as another busy day in Storybrooke began.


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Without much warning Belle finds herself getting offered some overtime by helping watch a party at Avonlea, however, things are never exactly as they seem and the security guard looks to her animatronic counterpart for some advice. Though she ends up finding so much more as the mysteries of Avonlea begin to piece themselves together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 04/02/16- Chapter Nine first-revision completed.

"Okay, next on the list..."

A shopping cart sped down the aisle, whirling its way past cardboard displays and enticing sale signs. The wheels and a set of heels rattled to a stop beside some refrigerated shelves full of fresh recently misted vegetables before a dainty hand took its time to reach out and grab a plump purple eggplant. After testing its ripeness and finding it satisfactory the produce was bagged and quickly added to the belly of the cart. With that done and out of the way the beauty took her shopping list back out of her purse, marking off the ingredient with a quick flick of her pen. 

So far Storybrooke's only grocery store had most of what Belle was searching for as her cart was filling up with nutritious foods and typical necessities... Well, it was all what her father should be looking for-it was  _his_  list after all.

“Hey, I got all the ingredients except for some mozzarella and ricotta cheese for the casserole. Wait, don't you already have mozzarella at home? Dad?” The young woman turned her head, swishing her auburn curls over the straps of her yellow dress from the movement. Yet, when she looked to her left she found no one in the near vicinity. A sigh escaped her as her blue eyes combed over the rest of the store, scoping past a display of fall apples before landing on just who she was looking for.

Not too far off was Moe French, seeming rather busy elsewhere as he chatted and caught up with one of his old friends. The sight simply made Belle shake her head to fight off the tiny grin pushing at the corner of her mouth. She couldn't be irritated with him at the slightest-it was good that he was out of the house and enjoying himself since his most recent trip to the hospital. In fact it'd been a little over a month now since he'd had that near heart attack that landed him in the emergency room for surgery, and though time had passed without him having any further complications his health was still something that worried the young woman. 

He seemed to be doing much better by the looks of it with his increase in energy and growing ease at moving about. It also helped them both emotionally that the results from the tests the doctors did on his heart had come back not too long ago. According to Dr. Whale whatever had occurred to induce the symptoms of a heart attack wasn’t drastic like congestive heart failure, though he had told her that her father's previous diet wasn't doing his artery's any favors. Hence in point why they were there that Monday afternoon stocking him back up with healthier alternatives for his meals.

'But even so that still means there's something wrong with him, and worse is the doctors don't know what it is...' Belle's mind reasoned, but with ease she brushed aside such negative thoughts.

As anxious as she was about him she knew they were going to have a trip to a larger hospital for another examination sometime soon. Hopefully it was going to help them find out what was ailing him. Till then the man just kept on fighting like the stubborn ol’ mule he was... Her father was even back to working and running his flower shop as if nothing had happened! Despite his actions being a bit reckless, far too much like herself, it made her proud how hard he pushed on after all the two of them had gone through... Including long before Storybrooke...

A soft expression crossed her fair features as she heard her father let out his guff of a laugh. Against all his suffering as of late not once had Belle ever seen him revert like he had after her mother's death to the once horrible vice in his life. When she had cleaned through his house she hadn't found a bottle of vodka or carton of alcohol hiding away in the depths of his home like he'd done often when she was younger. It seemed he truly kept to his promise of changing after all this time, and that was another relief of its own.

Speaking of relief, with both of them able to work the bills for all of his medical expenses weren’t horrible so far. At the moment Belle was helping him keep them in line as his insurance was covering the rest, which hopefully meant they wouldn't be getting any worse. That terrible possibility, should his condition falter, was something she had to be prepared for just incase.

Even so the young woman remained feeling positive as her current happiness flooded through her, and so she continued to finish their shopping. Turning her cart around the corner to head towards the dairy section Belle found herself quickly stopping in place as she browsed. A pretty good deal going on for large jars of pickles caught her eye, and it made the beauty recollect a rather humorous statement a strange high pitched voice told her a while back. 

_'If I could somehow eat even one food-and taste it too, I’d def-init-initely eat a pickle.'_

A brilliant smile broke out across her face, and on a whim a jar joined the rest of the cart. Shortly she returned to hunting down things on her list, but her mind became distracted with thoughts of a certain golden-green mechanical man. 

Then again Belle was constantly getting distracted as of late with thoughts of him.

'But who wouldn't be captivated by him or at least curious? It's not like many people get to become friends with sentient animatronics on a regular basis... I don't think so anyways.' She wondered, quietly laughing to herself in amusement. In a way that was true-there was no one besides her in all of Storybrooke-more than likely anyone at all, who knew that Rumplestiltskin existed. Without a doubt he was currently stuck in his tiny hideaway within Avonlea either 'sleeping' or reading to distract himself before night fell and he could be free to wander. Belle was doing her best to help keep him busy in the daylight hours, but with the rate he was going through her books she was starting to worry he'd be through her entire collection before the year was over.

'I feel bad that all I can do is give him books though... It breaks my heart that he's been stuck in that room for decades in fear of anyone finding him, least they destroy or dismantle him.' The actuality for his current state was something that kept lingering on the edge of her mind just as it was now. Schooling her face to remain calm and focused Belle kept shopping despite how she was fighting off a mournful expression from marring her features. 'We've known each other for a short while now, but he hasn't explained anything to me why he's living like that or what happened to even warrant him needing to be scrapped by Mr. Getto. I don't know how to ask him about it either-it's not like I have any real right to know, but maybe... If he at least told me I could help him in someway.'

Rumplestiltskin in his entirety was still very much a great mystery, as was the past surrounding his involvement at Avonlea, and for some reason... She felt as if she'd forgotten something important between herself and the family fun center too. In time she hoped these secrets would unravel, her curiosity was too latched on to let go now, but there was more to it than that. Belle frowned softly to herself, thinking of the lonely imp and how she wished she could get him to lower his walls like the castle like structure erected around him.

'I know that I'm curious about him and his past, but I've come to care for Rumple far more than just that. While our first meeting was pretty unconventional, and he did terrorize the previous guards I know that he's so much more than his... Physical properties. I can see the good in him he tries to deny is there, and he's far more human like than he lets on. I don't care if he was built instead of born-someone like him shouldn't be forced to live in the dark fearing for their life.'

"I've been pretty busy myself the last few days-having to prep for the party we're-"

Her thoughts fled from the animatronic when her ears caught trace of familiar voices ringing down the next aisle over. Catching the young woman's immediate attention Belle decided she'd investigate this minor mystery, excusing herself for being nosy since she was needing to pick up some cereal anyways. Around the corner she saw for herself that the voices belonged to none other than Mr. Hopper and Mr. Getto. Seeing the two of them plastered a smile back on her face, she recalled her boss mentioning that Archie and him were good friends as the soft-spoken psychiatrist was smiling and talking rapidly.

“-got a scheduled appointment with Hen-Oh-Ms. French? Good afternoon-I almost didn't see you there.” Mr. Hopper, more studious than most of Storybrooke's inhabitants, noticed her presence right away before giving her a nod. Although she was worried she might be interrupting them since they had seemed deep in conversation she kindly waved at them both before approaching. “I thought I just saw your father a while ago, the two of you out and about today? It's good to see him doing so well after his... Recent visit to the hospital and all.”

Both men seemed a bit distressed after Archie mentioned that, but Belle kept smiling and spoke up, not wanting them to feel sorry for something they couldn't help. “Yup, I'm getting him away from the flower shop for a bit for some fresh air as well as some groceries for a new recipe I wanted to try. By the way, good afternoon to you Mr. Getto-it's also good to see you out and about from Avonlea from time to time.”

Mr. Getto gave a small chuckle before adjusting the brim of his hat as he spoke. “Ah, sometimes I feel as if I've been stuck in there for days, but Ms. French you know I wonder if it’s more than coincidence I met you here today. I was just discussing with Archie here about a big event happening at Avonlea this Friday, and to my surprise I find myself bumping into you. Now I don’t have to bother you and your father today with a call-which isn't something to need to worry about I should add.”

“Avonlea's hosting a big event?” Belle inquired, her tone laced with growing interest. She hadn't recalled hearing anything important happening that current week at work, but then again being stuck with the nightshift and never seeing any of the other employees basically kept her out of the loop.

"Yes-it's only for a night, and most of my staff will be there to take care of the guests, but I was hoping you'd be interested in working a dayshift too. It’s nothing serious, but having a security guard around would help ease my silly worries."

Mr. Getto awaited a response, but the young woman had to think it over. She hadn't been expecting an offer like that in the least bit. “I’m not sure if I can, it’s quite sudden. I'd need to talk to my other job to see if they can switch a shift or adjust if you're really needing me.”

“Oh, I’d compensate you for the rashness of the situation for sure.” He swiftly added, bearing her an eager smile that she knew was making it easier for her to accept such an offer. “It’s only for a few hours extra before your shift since the party is in the evening-about four to eight, and then you could work your usual shift a bit earlier if you wanted. Or you could go home, rest up a bit then come back at twelve, it's all up to you since my memory fell short and I forgot to ask you this sooner.” When Mr. Getto was done Belle pondered over his words silently for a few seconds more. It was such a good deal to take-at least for someone like her trying to get as many hours of pay as she could. Making up her mind the beauty briefly glanced over to Archie who simply gave her a small shrug and smile before she glanced back to her boss who was waiting patiently as ever.

It was then she let out a small laugh, she didn't have a full idea of what she was getting herself into, but she reached out and shook Mr. Getto's hand.

"Sounds good to me-I'll be there at four Friday."

—————

"So once again he got you roped into something you weren't en-tire-tirely informed about. That man hasn't changed at all in the last twenty eight years I've known him! Sometimes I wonder how on earth he's kept this place up and running..." An impish electronic voice muttered, breaking the thin veil of the building's silence save for the typical groaning and creaking.

It was another normal Tuesday night at Avonlea for both the security guard seated at her desk and the mechanical man settled on her couch. Both Belle and Rumplestiltskin had grown completely use to sharing the space of her domain in the last few weeks, and the young woman admitted that she felt more comfortable with him beside her than out wandering the halls on his lonesome. Though, the sight of him sitting there with his unique scaly complexion and leathery hide clothing was still jarring sometimes against the normal scenery of her office. Yet, unlike their usual evenings spent together tonight he was strangely irritated, and the young woman somehow felt his mood wasn't because of what she just explained to him more so than it was 'for her'.

All that Belle could do was give another exasperated sigh silently to herself.

After giving her spiel about what had happened earlier that day with Mr. Getto the imp had reacted like a mother hen, showing a side to his personality he tried hard to hide. Despite how he kept reiterating the fact that ‘he didn’t care’ or that what she did ‘was of no concern to him’-something he was doing less as of late, the beauty knew well enough now that it was all for show. The usually trust worthy instinct that bubbled up in her gut claimed he cared for her ever since she fell off that chair into his arms, but she hadn't been expecting to get him this riled up over something so... Minute.

Well, she was sure it was nothing, then again his reaction spoke differently.

"Oh it's not that big of a deal he forgot-he's almost always running around in a fluster whenever I see him. Though I wish I would have managed to get him to explain to me more about what's actually going on Friday." Her brows furrowed a bit further in thought. "He's never asked for me to help out in the day time before and there's been many other party's held here beside this one."

“He didn't even tell you what it was for... Oh, dearie-dear. Basically every year about this time Avonlea hosts a big party for the little ones attending Storybrooke elemen-men-tary school. It's become tradition to do so for over the last decade-it's supposed to help ease their wee little hearts after getting stuck back in their classes and what not." Rumplestiltskin explained as his clawed hands twirled and flew about, near distracting Belle from paying attention to anything he said. "Hmm... It's hard to believe it’s already that time again-not that it matters to me at all, but for you that’s going to be a lot of extra hours running around on your feet! By the time you get to working your actual job you’re going to be exhau-hau-sted.”

Belle shrugged a bit with one shoulder after he finished his ranting, and it seemed to put him out as he grumpily huffed and crossed his arms. Clearly he was growing more agitated with how easy going she was being about the topic as she swiveled lazily around in her office chair.

“I get what you're saying, but this is better pay we're talking about. I’ll get paid extra for working as a day guard and if I jump in earlier than normal for the night shift, and any extra money is good money, right?”

“I suppose when you put it like that…” Rumplestiltskin hummed, emitting more of an odd buzzing sound due to his unnatural voice. “Bah! It’s your life after all-do with it what you will. I on the other hand just don’t want to have to go dumping a bucket of ice cold water on you that night if you were to say… Pass out on the job. Wait-a-actually that sounds like a lot of fun!” A broken giggle full of glitches erupted from his throat, and Belle turned in her chair harshly towards him with a mighty scowl on her lovely lips.

“Oh you wouldn’t- _dare._ ” It came out more of a warning than a question, but the machine kept smiling a wide naughty grin at her, revealing the pointy bits of his metal teeth. His response wasn't satisfying nor reassuring, but Belle had a good feeling he joking around just to rile her up-at least she hoped. “I’ll be fine, I mean how tired can I get from standing back and watching over a few kids? And if I'm super tired I'll get some extra rest Saturday before I have to head to my other job, I've worked worse before.”

“If you say so, dearie... Let's just hope you're prepared for what lies ahead.” The machine retorted, waving a cuffed hand as if to dismiss her, but the way he worded it didn't settle well with the beauty. What was the big deal about her working a silly party! It was just going to be a class of harmless kids, not her having to do something as ridiculous or strange as say... Having to to share her evenings with a sentient mechanical man-which she did perfectly fine without any trouble at all!

Their gazes remained locked on one another for a spilt second, but the young woman could tell she wasn't going to get through to him. If that was the case then she was just going to have to prove it to him that he was coddling and worrying about her for nothing. Even if he blatantly refused to admit he was doing so. 

Yet, for some reason, as Belle swiveled back around to her desk to return to the book lying there, she had a feeling that the machine knew more than he let on.

He always did.

—————

Friday eventually rolled around just like any other day, but deep inside the bowels of Avonlea Rumplestiltskin found himself waking far earlier than normal.

At first he slowly blinked his metal eyelids as his system jerked from sleep mode, allowing the minimum light to start up his sensors. He found it strange that his body seemed to be reacting all of a sudden, and began to ponder as to why he activated at such an peculiar hour. Soft clattering filled the tiny space of his hideaway as the animatronic's limbs uncoiled from his huddled body. Immediately his glowing eyes flung wide open when the parts and pieces holding together his 'mind' recalled something very important.

“Today is that big school party.” Rumplestiltskin whispered, though he knew he could talk far louder and no one would hear him with the big furnace and machines whirring in the maintenance room. Of course being cautious never hurt, and he stopped to listen just incase someone might be right next to him past the paneled walls. After a few moments of silence he knew it was empty and relaxed.

“I... Belle is going to be here soon so I must have woke up because of that...” His built in clock allowed him to instantly know it was nearly four in the afternoon and that the party would start soon depending on when the buses got there. “Maybe she’s already here... " The machine couldn't help but smile to himself as he began to reach behind his back to remove his wires from the self constructed outlet behind him. However, his golden-green fingers hesitated in plucking his lines free when his system pointed out there was no reason to.

“Perhaps my mind is not nearly as well kept as I thought it was. It’s not like I can waltz right out, stroll down the hallway, and say hello when she does arrive.” He muttered despondently to no one at all in the gloom of his small dark room. There were still very many other humans inside of Avonlea-soon to be even more, and he didn't feel like exposing himself nor horrifying poor children at the terrible sight of him. “Besides she has to deal with me for five nights a week… She should get a chance to enjoy being here without my frigh-ten-tening face looming around a corner.”

So the mechanical man remained planted right there, sitting on the floor while he closed his strange eyes to listen to the echoes of life bouncing through out the rest of the building. His auditory sensors picked up the sound of a few staff members hollering back and forth-more than likely trying to get some extra things done before the massive swarm of kids would consume all their free time. The kitchen and its current staff were alive and working hard tonight too by the sound of it. He could hear the humming pipes running at full speed, and he knew from years of experience that the help was probably making far more pizza than any typical night.

Another grin managed to pull up one corner of his faux lips at that thought, because it meant the ever hardworking knight would at least be well fed tonight with free food. A full security guard was a happy security guard after all! Hopefully it wouldn’t make her too exhausted when twelve o' clock rolled around, he didn’t need her to get a ridiculous buzz off coffee just to keep awake… But then again she was pretty funny all worked up and energetic-her life shone right through her every gesture and word while she squeaked around in that blasted chair of hers. There was nothing better than seeing those blue eyes alight with humor, or happiness, or that mischievous glint they got when he gave a dark quip-

Great. There he was going on and on again, his mind loosing track of it self and only thinking about the beautiful lovely woman.

“Oh no... I can’t stop thin-ink-king about her! This isn’t good!” Rumplestiltskin softly sputtered before his hands began tugging at the strands of his wiry hair coiled by his face. If he was capable of blushing his awful face would've been a toasty golden color upon catching himself doting on Belle as he had been all week. As if it wasn’t bad enough he knew this was happening the machine's luminous gaze caught sight of a spider by his shelves stop and stare in his direction as if it was amused by the blathering of a talking tin can. Its beady eyes felt as if they were mocking him, and so Rumplestiltskin bore his grimy teeth at the arachnid.

“Bah! I don’t need your judge-men-ment, and you produce web from your posterior-you have no room to talk about weird!” 

The spider sat there a few more moments before the imp waved a segmented hand near it, sending the creature scurrying off into the darkness.

But the realization that he was growing attached to the young woman was far too heavy for him to simply ignore when he went back to his own introspection. 

“No one’s talked to me since that night fourteen years ago... Coinci-dent-dentally enough it's that same person, so of course I’d grow a bit more... Attached. It’s only natural-well I’m not natural-so would it be unnat-nat-ural for a human then? But what about me? I-grah!” He grumbled, now tapping his nervous fingers on his leather clad knees, the sound of hollow metal 'tinkled' within. “It’s not like I can truly care about her to begin with since I'm not even  _real_ … I think she’s just a chatty touchy one that I simply can’t ignore just because she is so bizarrely enga-enga-ging. Yes, I’m just being polite by interacting with her is all-she’s been kind and fair to me so it’s only appro-pro-priate my system makes me respond in turn.”

The machine fumbled desperately with his words as he blathered on to himself in the inky shadows broken up by the light spilling from his skull. Yet, trying to convince the programing that was his consciousness that he truly did not care a single bit really over Ms. French was not that easy. 

No matter how enticing the idea was to let her claim a piece of his nonexistent 'heart' Rumplestiltskin knew he shouldn't. He couldn’t care about her beyond her protection, and that was because one day she’d leave here, never to return-never to visit, and the agony of his loneliness would become too much to bear all over again. It wasn't like she actually cared about him anyways, who could or would ever want to concern themselves towards something like him? In the end he was just a minor convenience to have around in the boring forsaken world of Avonlea during such late hours... Soon the human would understand how damaged he was, and soon she'd see his ugliness and monstrousness as everyone else did to which she'd run for the hills at the first chance.

The pain he felt jolt through his body just then almost seemed too real to be completely artificial.

"I can't blame her when she will leave... I'd run from me too if I could." The scaled machine's voice cracked while he tightened his limbs back towards himself.

_“Rumple…”_

“She doesn’t truly care bout me… She can’t... Why would she? B-But... Why does it matter to me so much that she does?”

_“Ruuumpleeee…”_

“What? Was that...” Rumplestiltskin sputtered as he lurched his head forward, wondering if he was hearing wrong or perhaps he was finally experiencing a catastrophic failure in his mainframe. Part of him couldn't help but think it'd wouldn't be so bad to hear such a lovely voice repeat his name on loop.

“Rumple… Open up… It's me...” The feminine call rose to meet him, but he could tell this time that it was right outside of his sanctuary. There was no confusing whose light and beautiful accented voice that was-Ms. French was in the maintenance room!

Abruptly a knock rattled gently against the metal panel that was locked in place, startling the alarmed animatronic further.

“Belle?” Rumplestiltskin repeated before he freed his wires from his outlet, shot to his feet, and tip toed over to the panel.

“Gonna let me in?” He heard her chuckle softly while he placed his metal palms upon the rough grating. Strange enough his wires popped and squirmed inside of his shell with a surge of powerful energy. “I don’t have very long, I said I had to visit the ladies room and take care of a call afterwards. I didn’t admit it was a house call, but they don’t need to know that.”

“H-Hold on-step back-plea-please be careful!” Rumplestiltskin stuttered out in glitched concern when he went to move the panel keeping them apart. This was so unexpected, he didn't know why she was here-surely it wasn't something bad was it? She wasn't in danger-she was safe right? ‘Yeah-you're not attached to your security guard at all, huh?' His mind prodded him, and the machine's facial mechanics furrowed as he worked on easing the metal slab from the rest of the wall.

“There’s a light on in here so I’m totally fine, even though I'm still a bit squished between these pipes.” Her low voice hummed on a whimsical note, but sure enough when the panel was moved ever so slightly some of the light from the other room spilled into his domain, making him instantly push the panel back into place. “Hey-What’s wrong? If you’re not decent I can come back, you should have warned me.” She was playfully teasing him, but his mind was stuck in a whirlwind of warnings and code, forcing him to react as best he could.

“The lights are on out there-I can’t-I-can't risk opening it up... What if some-ome-one were to walk in and see you or me? I can't-”

“No one is gonna walk in, at least not if you don’t hurry. I closed the door behind me after I made sure I slipped in when no one was looking, and besides, if someone finds me in here I’ll just say I was snooping around or something.” Belle explained in a completely calm voice, and that soothing sound helped ease his anxieties away. His knight unlike usual knights was a smart and clever one, so he had no need to worry about her risking them both. 

Rumplestiltskin relaxed his rigid stance before he returned to moving the slab of metal to allow the waiting woman in. The yellowish light poured in, tearing the darkness away, and Rumplestiltskin had to shrink back so his ‘eyes’ could readjust from the increase in brightness. Instantly his vision shifted, but as he turned his head he found Ms. French had already moved past him into his abode. It kept startling him how easy and carefree she was to join him. As if there was nothing to fear nor a horrifying figure lurking beside her the young woman perused his shelf of assorted things with her back facing him.

“Why the random visit in the day, dearie?” The machine managed to form a coherent sentence before he returned to setting the panel back halfway, keeping some extra light for his human guest. Speaking of guests... The imp's features cringed a bit at the recollection of the spider currently at home in the corner of his room. Hopefully it had scurried on from earlier as he recalled a previous encounter with Ms. French and said type of creature. While it had been an amusing night when her yelp breached across the entirety of Avonlea he had to swiftly rescue the spider from an untimely demise under the knights frantic feet.

Ms. French turned about on those boots of hers and looked up at him, catching his gaze with her vibrant blue eyes and soft smile. It was then he finally noticed she had something clasped in one hand-a book to be precise, and his own amber eyes widened against his will in delight.

“I thought I’d check up on you before I started my first day shift, and give you some new reading material to keep you occupied. Though I have to tell you they are going crazy out there in the lobby and kitchen right now-I swear some of the staff sounds like their nearly squawking sometimes." A soft chuckle escaped Belle and Rumplestiltskin gave a strange titter in response. Honestly she wasn't far off the mark from what he'd been hearing all day. "But, that makes me wonder, just how many kids are gonna be here?” She inquired with a slight tilt of her head, and the imp couldn't help but flourish a hand nonchalantly about the air.

“Oh, not too many, though it seems like they overrun the place whenever they get here. Perhaps total there might be..." It only took him a second of calculations before the animatronic blurted out the rest of the answer, though he pretended to count his fingers for effect. "-About one hun-un-dred or so on average, give and take a few if you want to be precise.”

Those gorgeous eyes of hers flew wide open, more than his own metal ones at the sight of the book. 

“One hundred! Mr. Getto didn’t mention there was going to be that many kids-nor you for that matter.” Belle exclaimed in worry before she threw a hand over her mouth when she realized she had talked far too loud.

“You already know well enough that he tends to forget some impor-port-tant details.” Rumplestiltskin shrugged his plated shoulders, and Belle nod in solemn agreement. She knew full well that fact, after all she had applied to the security guard position expecting a daytime shift and look where she was... Well, he supposed she was at least actually working one day shift now, wasn't she?

“But…” Belle muttered though she stopped herself short. Yet, during her pause he caught the way her bottom lip tucked between her teeth while she glanced away. “To be honest, I’ve never had to look out for younger kids before, and nothing ever as close to this many. I mean-I grew up as an only child, so I didn't get to know what siblings were like, and I didn’t have many friends even when I lived back in Australia-none with any younger brothers or sisters really. I'm not sure I know what I'm doing in a situation... Well, _like this._ ”

The pair stood there awkwardly, though the poor machine was feeling baffled as to why she was saying all this. ‘I don’t understand... I mean watching over some children for a few hours is not that much of an issue to be so worried about-though it is quite a responsibility... But Belle's usually more confident about things like this! Oh, I see... My troublesome knight _is_  nervous about this.' Realizing the issue at hand Rumplestiltskin cracked a toothy smile as he released his strange inhuman sigh.

“Now, now, dearie-you’re going to be perfectly fine.” With a flick of a segmented finger he caught her attention, which worked with such small space between them. “There are going to be teachers there along with the kids so it won't all be thrusted upon you. The worst thing that might hap-pe-pen might be a child getting a booboo from falling down or something, and those are usually cured with some candy and a colorful bandaid to my knowled-led-ge.” 

Belle's mouth tugged up at one corner thanks to his not so elegant language, but he was glad that somehow he was able to help ease her worries away-even if just with a little laugh. This special creature had been more than compassionate to him regarding his own fears-try as he might to not let her know just how cowardly he was. Being able to elevate even a portion of what she felt or getting to see her face light up in joy was a complete miracle to him.

However, he could see her preparing a rebuttal against his unusual optimistic outlook, so he continued rattling on before she could.

“No buts! All the other random employees acting as day guards didn’t do much the years before you came along. You’ll prob-bab-ably just stand around and watch the little ones run themselves silly for a few hours. Better yet! You'll get to do so while enjoying some free food and drinks.”

“Are you sure it’ll be alright? From the sound of it you seem like you're far better suited to be handling kids than me.” Belle playfully said, shooting him one of her mischievous looks.

Her statement made his entire body still however, and quickly the animatronic shook his head, spilling his wiry mop of hair, as he forced his expression not to falter. She had sounded so confident in him just now, but if she were to know how wrong she was about him... And anything to do with children... For they were combination that shouldn't mix-not ever again despite how entertaining them had once been his entire purpose in this strange existence.

'I don't know what's would be worse for her to know... That I'm a terrible monster or a complete waste of space...'

Brief sorrow flickered across his inhuman features, but the theatrical imp bounced back with a whirl of parts. “Alas! An evil sorcerer such as I lacks the proper means to care for children, dearie! Just trust me on this, my data and odds calc-ula-ulations are never wrong- _typically,_ but everything will go smoothly for you tonight.”

Belle's rosy lips dropped into a frown as she reached over and set her new book for him on the top of his make shift shelves.

“You were doing such a good job of calling me by my name before, _dearie_. Alas! Perhaps this great sorcerer's memory is actually not as great as he thinks it to be!” The security guard teased, attempting to imitate the high pitch of his voice while flittering one of her hands through the air.

“If you'd prefer another title I could refer to you as 'bother-ther-some dishon-hon-orable knight' like I should be doing instead!” Rumplestiltskin snapped, but all Belle did was simply quirk a brow at him in mere amusement. “What? You think that isn't good enough! Well, that is a bit of a mou-outh-thful to say-even more than my own name and that’s saying something. Perhaps you'll prefer-'chatty clumsy knight'? No, that doesn’t quite ring well. How about 'somewhat tolerable knight'? Hm? That more refined for... You...”

All his previous impish teasing fell away when he noticed that Belle was quietly staring back at him with a gentle expression. A section of his system wondered if he'd somehow been rambling on for forever, but all he could do was stare right back with awful mouth agape. The dim light slipping into his space had darkened her eyes and left them sparkling, leaving the machine swearing he'd never seen a color more beautiful than the cool blue peering at him.

“Thank you, Rumple. You’ve helped me feel much better-I’m embarrassed to admit it, but even this dishonorable knight gets nervous sometimes. For such silly reasons too...” The flitter of her voice was deeply sincere, and he worried the sparks sizzling deep within in chest at the sound would burn through his parts. In the shadows with her he remained perfectly still to better take in the state of the small human woman. As always she was dressed impeccably in Avonlea's security guard uniform from head to toe... Wait-her hair was somewhat incomplete in its ponytail, clinging close to her eyebrow was a runaway portion of her bangs that had strayed from the rest.

Hesitantly, but without much thought, the machine reached his hand up and gently brushed back the lock of hair. It remained in its proper place as his clawed fingers rested by Belle's temple while he smiled nervously, but when his optics braved to look upon her a sea of dread welled up in his hollow ports. Her fair face peering right up at him was filled with a strange expression that he knew could only be shock or fear.

‘Oh no! Y-You went and touched her like that! Of course she’s afraid-she's probably disgusted by you!’

In an instant Rumplestiltskin recoiled his large hand from her, fearing her immediate rejection. He’d let his guard down again-and worse he had shown just how deeply he was beginning to care for his companion-to the security guard and himself. The small ‘o’ her mouth didn’t disappear as Belle looked at him with that heavy gaze, and though he was beyond nervous his eyes were unable to part from hers. Desperately he wished to know what lied in that mind while she looked at him. Did she truly think he was ‘human’ like as she claimed or did she just see a pathetic lonely ‘thing’ that she felt compelled to spare her compassion to? Could she find him equal to her flesh and blood despite his metal and wires?

'Could she-could she ever care for m-'

The sudden sound of the maintenance room's door hinges swinging open immediately shattered the moment.

“Crap!” Belle squeaked before turning and bumping straight into Rumplestiltskin. The machine was not easy to topple, being nearly 200 pounds of alloy and metal made sure of that, but he moved his arms to hold her and took a wobbly step back. Her small frame and his bumped back into the wall, and she reacted much faster than he could due to his shock. One of her hands clutched the top of his vest snug against him as the other went up and covered his mouth. The animatronic just stared wide eyed at the human tucked firm enough against his exoskeleton that he could sense the pressure of her body.

His thoughts didn't get to remain on how strangely pleasant it was for long. Voices started to waft through the outside room, and Rumplestiltskin felt fear well up inside of himself in a mighty surge. Half of the panel was still open! What if they somehow noticed it behind the machinery and pipes!

 _“Sshhh-Rumple. Calm down.”_ Belle whispered stiffly, and it became obvious why pretty quick-his metal form was starting to rattle from how hard he was trembling. _“We’re gonna be okay-I promise. I’m right here-I won't let anything happen to you.”_

“Odd, I don’t remember leaving the light on in here, oh well. August do you think you could give the machines backstage a quick look over before the evening show? As soon as possible would be nice-I want to make sure everything is running perfectly.” It was Mr. Getto’s voice that spoke up loud and clear through out the room next over. “I’m worried about them somehow being off track-I noticed during the last show the prince seemed to be getting stuck towards the left of the stage.”

“Got it.” August Booth’s voice rung out shortly after, followed by the clatter of them grabbing equipment or messing with the tool chests tucked in the back. Every sound put Rumplestiltskin further on edge, but Belle remained tightly pressed against him as they waited it out. For a minute it seemed they were going to leave when there was no longer the echo of drawers or metal being moved about.

“Hey-Ms. French is supposed to be here today isn’t she?” August asked abruptly, loud enough the two hidden away could hear. 

Belle stiffened against the animatronic, jerking his gaze from the beam of light slipping into the room to her. A flicker of worry crossed her features, and he gently placed the tips of his twitching fingers against the small of her back in hopes to comfort her.

“You haven't seen her? I thought I saw her get here just a few minutes ago.” Marco began. “But yes-I asked if she’d be here today as the security guard just as a safety precaution. With so many kids running about you never know if one of them might accidentally get hurt... And I’d rather make sure that doesn’t happen, not when I have the capability at least.”

A brief moment of silence was followed by a small chuckle, but it was clear August didn’t really put any heart to it-it was more of a dismissal really. That incited a reaction from the mechanical man as he felt an inhuman growl building up in his steel throat.

He'd never met August face to face since the boy had ended up in Mr. Getto's life at the point the animatronic was believed to have been torn apart to pieces. But throughout the years Rumplestiltskin had heard enough from clipped conversations to know that the young child once enamored and eager to help his father no longer took those same dreams seriously. In between the lines it was obvious August felt it was all a big joke-the animatronics, entertaining the kids, and Avonlea all together. There was so much more about the grown man that the imp didn’t care for either. The few times that money had gone missing or things disappeared always seemed to coincided when August was about, and his sneaky carefree attitude didn't help, but the machine had no proof of such things...

“I know, I know... You think I’m too worried over needing so much security-but just you wait. Ms. French will protect a kid from getting a scrapped knee or a concussion from falling and bumping their head. Regardless of whether I'm being too overprotective at the end of the day keeping the kids safe is what matters.”

“No, it’s not that pops-I get where you're coming from. It’s just there’s not anything here that could get a kid hurt bad enough to warrant needing a full blown security guard. Unless, you somehow think it's going to end up like that one time you never talk about-that time-”

“ _August stop_ -we agreed not to talk about that.”

There was a lull then and there-an empty space void of all sounds, even the building's usual groaning seemed to have stop entirely. Rumplestiltskin felt just the same as he stood plastered against the wall with Belle. His entire body froze, and he began to panic from the waves of horror and dread pounding violently into his processors. Against his will the rest of what August meant to say rippled through his metal skull, to replay over and over again in an endless loop.

**‘Unless, you somehow think it's going to end up like that one time you never talk about-that time that mechanical monster hurt that kid.’**

Everything beyond the noise in his head grew silent, even Belle's gentle whispering failed to breach the animatronic. Alien eyes stared off into space, pulled into a haunting past as the memories flew forward through time and space to make him endure them once more.

**_(‘Can’t we talk about this, sir! I’m a very reasonable man, and I know you and your family has gone through a traumatic incident that no parent nor child should have to-‘)_ **

**_(‘Shut up! You don’t get to talk about what we've gone through! I won’t rest or settle this case till that-that-fucking THING you have there is destroyed!’)_ **

**_(‘Please you can’t-it was just an accident-it's just a machine-’)_ **

**_(‘You have your choice! I’ll have your doors closed within in a single... Fucking... Day, if you don’t get rid of that damn monster... And after what it did to my child... You're lucky I don't sue you for everything you've got.’)_ **

**_(‘I… I understand… You're right, there’s-there’s no room for faulty equipment here at Avonlea.’)_ **

Faulty equipment...

Thing...

Monster...

The barbs still stung after decades, but that’s what he was-what he'd always had been and always would be. Like a fool he'd been trying his hardest to forget when he knew he couldn't... There was no escaping or redemption from his sins just as he could never escape this horrid body.

Time continued to move forward around him though, and he was ripped from his turmoil when August pipped back up.

“Come on, you've told me that for years now, but you still haven't even given me the slightest clue of what happened back then. I'm not that child anymore, you don't need to be so mysterious about it to protect me or anything.”

Mr. Getto remained silent, pausing too long for the machine's comfort, but then there was the sound of a drawer being wrenched open and shut.

“Perhaps, someday soon, I tell you that story… But, I don't like to dwell on it if I don't have to. The past is past and nothing I can do can change what happened, all I can do is make sure that nothing as horrible as that ever happens again.”

“Sorry I asked…” August mumbled, it was almost too quiet for the machine to catch, but it seemed to go under Marco's notice.

“Now, I’ve got to go make sure we’ve got the proper count of gift bags for the kids when they arrive, and remember to check on the prince will you?”

“Got it-I should have him running smoothly in a few minutes.”

The animatronic's sensitive hearing picked up the sound of their following footfalls, figuring that they had gathered up what they had come looking for and planned to leave. The light spilling past the metal panel into his sanctuary shortly flickered off, leaving Belle and him alone in darkness as the maintenance room door closed. A layer of heavy silence settled through out the rooms after that, bearing more weight on both human and machine than their bodies still pressed into each other.

Yet, Rumplestiltskin was still so lost and far away.

Was the few memories of him and his time as a piece of Avonlea just that- _horrible?_ When Mr. Getto stopped and thought back of the machine he once happily called ‘Rumplestiltskin’ did all he see was that terrible day and the horror the thing had wrought? It was clear from the way the man's voice warbled that all he felt at the mere memory of the imp was disgust and shame. There'd been no mourning or tears shed for his believed fate after all, it must have been a relief for everyone-Mr. Getto most of all, when they thought him destroyed... 

After what he'd done.

Violently his husk started to tremble as flashes of images ghosted across his artificial eyes-memorized visions of blood, fearful faces, and splattered gore. There in the codes and numbers making up his consciousness he saw the once two small faces scrunched up in horror staring back at him. Their wails and screaming continued as if they had never stopped before mixing and mashing into the rest of agonized sounds filling his head.

**_('D-d-don't scream! I'm sorry-I didn't mean-I didn't mean to-I d-didn't mean to-')_**

"I didn't mean to-I didn't mean to-I didn't mean to-" The broken whimpers spilled out without him knowing. 

**_**(01-A: ERROR. PROCESSOR ERROR- **INTERFERENCE-44. REPAIRING-** )** _ **

_“Rumple! Rumple! I know you're not alright... It's okay, just please-come back to me.”_ The worried whispering near his face managed to pull his fragmenting mind back into the present, but it was the pressure of a hand behind his neck forcing his head down that wretched him away entirely. Whether he was willing or not the animatronic was forced to look upon the woman squeezed against him. Rumplestiltskin felt more wretched than ever before when he saw the utter pity and sadness drenched in those blue depths gazing at him.

Why did this have to happen... Not only had she'd seen him start to freak out from Mr. Getto's and August's conversation, but she had heard _everything_. It wouldn't be hard for someone as smart as her to begin to put the pieces together, and if she knew what he'd done all those years ago... She’d truly see him as a monster.

‘ **No!**  N-No-please, no! She can't find out what happened-I can't let her ever know or she'll leave!’

Standing there planted in place all he could do was await the worst to happen. Any second now the small woman would wretch herself away and start pelting him out of fear and anger with a flurry of questions. That voice he had come to adore would turn brittle and spit venom at him, throwing a delude of beastly terms like all the other humans had, though he deserved every ounce of them. But having to hear them from the one human he'd come to care for in his life-the one that he never wanted to ever see hurt again, it would break him.

He couldn't make a single noise-not even his parts creaked as the beauty in his arms continued to stare silently back at him. The hand intertwined in the fibers making up his hair made it so his head couldn't jerk away (in the back of his mind he knew he could if he wanted), but Belle released her hold after a few more seconds. Delicately the palm of her hand trailed over the side of his face to cup his rough chin and cheek, forcing his eyes to fling wide open. Her touch was an innocent gesture so unlike what he expected, and through his guilt he relished the contact despite the fear of her recoiling at any moment.

It took her a bit before she finally spoke, and her tone remained low and cautious as if she was afraid to spook him. “I know you're still not alright, and I want to stay here longer, but... I’ve got to go. Before Mr. Getto and everyone starts to really wonder where I am.”

“O-Okay…” Rumplestiltskin croaked back, yet his burning shame made him shift his lidded gaze down to the floor, illuminating the tips of their boots.

“Thank you again Rumple, for what you told me before... I’ll be sure to come for you once I’m the only one left in the building, that way you can get some extra time out and about, and if you don't finish that book so quickly maybe we can read it together." There was a smile in her voice, like they'd somehow heard nothing of the conversation just now.

Doubts flew through his mind, but all he could do was nod as she released his face. Those tiny fingers fell away to her sides, and strangely enough without the weight of her hand the animatronic felt his world suddenly off balance.

“Remember-” He managed to pipe up as she was turning to leave. A fleeting sense of bravery welled up within him against the previous terror weighing him down when she looked at him in pure concern. “You and the children are going to be f-in-ine tonight. You’re an incredible guard, the best I've ever seen here, don’t forg-org-et that.”

“I... I won’t Rumple.” Gentleness poured from her in waves that lapped against him, receding the lashing static inside his head. After all that had just happened she still wore that beautiful smile of hers, and that was enough for him to hope that things might be alright for once.

Just as he was readying to part with her for the next few hours, as much as he didn't want to, something... Extraordinary occurred.

In the entirety of his twenty eight year old existence he never once expected such a thing to happen to him-and not from this incredible human. In a sudden movement that startled him Belle stepped forward and not away, covering the distance between them. Leaning up on the tip toe of her feet she brought her face right next to his and placed her lips agains the curve of his scaly cheek. With a sharp clack his eye lids flew back into his head, and a near gasp strangled out of his mouth at the contact. He couldn't feel the kiss in a human sense, but he was sure that her lips were 'soft' since he could barely sense her mouth pressed into his silicone covered metal.

It was only for a split second for just as soon as the security guard was kissing him she had pulled away and stepped a couple steps back. His yellow light dappled against her standing there, illuminating her flushed cheeks that were processed by his photographic memory to look back upon later. Questions rose up in his throat as they continued to glance silently at each other, but with a quick turn Belle made her way to the half open panel, slipped past, and then was gone. All that he could do was stand there in place and listen to the ‘pitter pattering’ of her steps as she made her way out of the maintenance room.

When the door clicked closed the servo's operating his legs gave out, sending him slowly sinking to the floor. Overwhelming awe fill the hollow of the machine's chest at what just happened as he remained sprawled there. One hand reached up towards his face as his hinged maw fell wide open from his remaining shock. Even with no true sense of 'touch' Rumplestiltskin could pinpoint the pressure of his fingers against his outsides as he traced the place where Ms. French’s lips had just been.

“No one has ever kiss-se-ed me before… Is she crazy? Why on earth would she kiss a mach-chi-ine?” He whispered to himself, but his voice broke from the building emotion. "Why? Why would she'd do that? I don't under-der-stand..."

That wasn't the only thing building within him for he pulled his hand away when he was alerted to the stinging at his eye sockets. The peculiar sensation sent ‘errors’ to his data born mind which processed the information, telling him that something might be wrong or faulting with him physically. Though he did not know what was wrong he figured it was simply dust clogging some open port that had been worn down with time and lack of maintenance or a build up of moisture had corroded some exposed wire.

Yet, the uncomfortable stinging was nothing compared to the joy encompassing him which made his facial features twitch sporadically as he tried to process it. 

A human... H-Had kissed him.

Not just any human either-no-it had been Belle... Belle had kissed him, and it had been her choice.

Despite how naive he was in regards to humans and their way of life he knew what she shared meant something... It was something beautiful and down right frightening for someone who day after day had been entirely alone... Till now. 

In the shadows of his room the animatronic closed his eyes, plunging the world around him into black. With his leather covered limbs curled back into himself he sat there against the wall, hoping and wondering over this new possibility-one he never considered would be given to a thing like him. 

Perhaps he'd been wrong earlier...

Maybe there was a creature in this world that could truly come to care for him.

—————

It took quite a bit of effort for Belle to compose herself after leaving the maintenance room.

Despite how her thoughts were wildly spinning she made sure she scoped out the area before she wandered out so no one would know where she had disappeared off to. When she saw she was alone one of her hands braced itself on the concrete wall to help her remain steady while the other slowly reached up to tuck back her wayward hair falling into her face again. The touch instantly made her recall the way her companion had just minutes ago gently brushed his cold fingers against her forehead like she was now. That surprise still hadn't gone away-Rumplestiltskin was usually so shy and afraid to initiate any type of contact, but he had, and more so there had been a look of pure kindness shinning in those warm orbs looking at her.

Then there was what she'd done herself-a last second impulse that she did not regret. Her lips still felt the lingering sensation of kissing cold metal, causing an unknown chill to go down her spine. Whether it was from the adrenaline still pounding through her veins or something else she was not sure... Rumplestiltskin's face had been icy to the touch even with the silicone material of his fake skin that allowed the animatronic such human like expressions. Yet, though her own skin upon his had found the touch strange at first she had not been disgusted by it at all.

Now her heart was thumping painfully in her chest as she glanced back at the door, thinking of him holstered away all alone in the darkness. At first he had seemed so happy to see her from the random visit, and she had been more than glad to take the time to be with him. But then Marco and August had walked in, scaring them both with the thought of being found-Rumplestiltskin's fear had almost given him a panic attack if he could have such a thing. Then, when it seemed things would be alright and that they would be safe the men had begun to speak about things, and though she had not been sure at the moment now she had a good idea...

Especially since she'd seen the look plastered on Rumplestiltskin's face-an expression that could only be described as absolute horror.

_'Unless, you somehow think it's going to end up like that one time you never talk about-that time-”_

What August had said had been enough to start sending the machine pressed against her on the verge of a fit. She had managed to help him keep from falling into one or allowing his rattling frame to alert the men in the other room, and they left without a clue of the duo nearby. But it was clear now that what they were talking about had to be the event that occurred a long time ago with this unnamed child Mr. Getto mentioned. There was so much of the situation still left unknown, but it had clearly and obviously been horrible and tragic...

And, worse of all, it had something to do with Rumplestiltskin.

Belle let out a shaky breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding in. Not too long ago she'd been wondering about finding out these mysteries contained in Avonlea, and now part of her was starting to regret ever wanting that. 

All of it made sense though, if Rumplestiltskin really did have something to do with that tragedy. It explained why he said that first night they met that he had meant to be 'scrapped' or why he hid away from everyone, not just because of his supposed ‘destruction’ but because he didn't trust himself with even being near human beings at all. His reaction to Mr. Getto's and August's conversation was enough too, but another demanding question rose up in her chest at the thought...

Why did he stay here this entire time at Avonlea then?

‘It’s not like he could have up and left-where on earth would a sentient animatronic like him find a place to stay at let alone one where he would be accepted? If he'd left he would've more than likely been rejected just like he'd been rejected by Avonlea...’ The beauty's mind pointed out harshly, and it caused the broken beating of her heart to grow worse. Sadness marred her face, and with heavy eyes she glanced to the maintenance room door, worrying over the imp huddled within just a few feet away.

She couldn't imagine what it was like to have absolutely nowhere to go, not a soul to be with... No place to belong. 

"Rumple..."

She was distracted somewhat from these dark heavy thoughts when an uproar coming from the front of the building reached her ears. With a hesitant pause the security guard glanced down the hall and then back to the door, feeling guilt at leaving despite knowing she couldn't help it. There would be time to think about all this later and time to ask her companion when they were all alone. For now she had to get back out to the main floor and prepare for a whole one hundred kids to come scrambling in Avonlea for a good few hours.

She was more nervous than before, but Belle felt a surge of courage fill her chest as she composed herself and righted her silly crooked bow. She had to look presentable-she was the face of 'Avonlea: Family Fun Center' after all, and it wouldn't do to make anyone worry if she was alright or not. What helped her the most, putting the slight smile on her face again as her boots padded down the hall towards the double doors, was the stammered but kind words Rumple had spoken to her.

_‘Remember-You and the children are going to be f-in-ine tonight. You’re an incredible guard, the best I've ever seen here, don’t forg-org-et that._

Somehow she knew that things would be alright. Even if no one else thought that she could handle herself her mechanical companion believed in her. After all he had guarded Avonlea dutifully for decades and trusted that with his 'somewhat tolerable knight' leading the charge that everything would be okay.

'It's strange, how after being rejected by everything Rumplestiltskin could find it in himself to accept me-to welcome me into his life, even though no one has accepted him.' Belle mused to herself as she pushed through the metal doors and made her way past the arcade and readied entertainment area. Something struck her as she casted her gaze up to the grand red curtains and the empty spot on stage where she once stood, unknowing of the lonely soul who had watched her from the shadows. 'That's not true that Rumplestiltskin doesn't have anywhere he belongs... I might not know what happened with him a long ago, nor why he is the way he is, but I know that I accept him no matter what. He-he belongs here in this world, and I want to make sure he never feels so alone.'

As she glanced away, tending to her duties, she tried to ignore the pitter pattering of her heart.

—————

It wasn't much of a difference, but focusing on it made the challenge before her a little less daunting.

It turned out there were only ninety four students attending Avonlea for a few hours this evening. That was still quite a few young energetic beings for a person to watch over regardless, but even knowing this Belle kept her cool when she saw the kids pile out one another another from the bus out front with wide eyes full of excitement. The rest of the staff had already forced on some semblance of calm, except Mr. Getto who was unable to as he was busy coordinating with two adults from the school faculty.

Belle had attempted to formulate a plan to make her job a bit easier, but as soon as they had arrived they unleashed themselves upon the family fun center like a plague. Even the teachers themselves were unable to stop them all from speeding off in different directions. It wasn't before too long the security guard was circling about the entire floor almost tripping over little ones or getting pulled into their shenanigans. She spent some time observing a cluster from the large glass windows to the play-area, making sure that any imaginary fights didn't turn into real ones or that someone would feel the need to reenact 'Peter Pan' from the top of the slides. From there she had to jump over to the arcade and then back near the stage where some kids flittered about with plastic ‘magical wands’ and foam 'enchanted swords’.

A few teachers helped maintain some form of order alongside Avonlea’s busy employees. When it seemed like the security guard didn't need to worry about watching the students too closely the young woman took the opportunity to mingle when she could. After all, she finally had a chance to talk to some of the other people who worked in the building, and it was nice to see some younger people much like herself enjoying being apart of Avonlea. Much to her curiosity's dismay no one brought up or hinted at anything involving the ominous event she overhead Marco and August briefly mention. It seemed that they also had no clue of any dark secrets about the friendly appearing establishment, just like how they hadn't the slightest inclination of the animatronic hiding beyond the walls.

Unfortunately she didn't get much time to mull about it-they were all still very busy with the little ones clamoring all over. That didn't mean she wasn't having any fun though despite being on the clock. Belle's innate nature and kindness instantly won most of the students over, and she was even coerced into a game of ‘save the princess’ by a group of small boys near the animatronic dragon for a short while.

When a couple of hours passed everything was going just as smoothly as Rumplestiltskin told her it would. It was silly to imagine, but Belle wished he was out with her on the floor to enjoy watching and playing with the kids-perhaps he'd have even caused some silly innocent mischief as he often liked to with her. Yet, he couldn't and there was a pretty good chance he never would, but that didn't sit well with the beauty at all. She'd seen first hand how utter isolation effected someone-with all her heart she believed there was no way anyone deserved to be locked up in a room all alone no matter what they'd done...

'Isn't that right... Mother?' The thought ghosted through her mind, and her bright blue eyes drooped from the past memories rising back up from their grave.

Her melancholy was brushed aside when it came time for the special evening show with its shiny animatronic entourage's performance. Soon the little ones were all seated and wrapped up in this weeks adventure amongst the prince, his princess, and the glowing fairy against the evil queen, her wicked shadows, and the terrible dragon. The show's catchy music filled the entire building of Avonlea, enrapturing the kids who watched and sang along with the TV screens displaying the lyrics.

Midway during the show Belle found the perfect time to head to the break room to grab a drink as well as a moment to herself. With care she quietly passed through the double doors and made her way down the empty back hall. There was no escaping the stuffy heat here either-summer's hold was still going strong in the middle of September, and she was forced to fan herself as she strolled down the brightly lit corridor. Mr. Getto had told her there were free cold drinks for everyone working back in the break room’s fridge and she was going to take up that offer-

“Where is it… _Shit…_ ”

‘What? There's someone back here besides me?’ Belle pondered before furrowing a brow at the unrecognizable voice muttering to himself through out the back hall. Curious as always Belle turned the corner to see an unfamiliar man closing a door that went to one of the empty party rooms before turning towards the other way. His back was facing her as he wandered further, and it seemed he was so caught up in his search for something that hadn’t noticed her at all.

The man scratched his stocking cap clad head while he stood there, appearing lost and deep in thought. “I thought it was back here… Or maybe I missed it-this place is too big...”

“Excuse me sir?” Belle piped up suddenly right behind him, and she swore the man nearly jumped out of his skin.

This stranger swiftly turned to her, causing his red cap to slip sideways on his head from the motion. Now that the young woman could look him over better she noticed he was a little bit taller than her-just barely, and that he was also heavier set as well as sporting a thin mustache and goatee. Overall he didn’t look familiar in the slightest, but then again she hadn't been around Storybrooke a lot the last few years.

‘Oh no, I scared him pretty good-I’m getting as bad as Rumple!’ Belle felt more like chuckling than feeling embarrassed about that fact, part of her even entertained the thought of sneaking up on the machine herself one day. “I’m sorry I didn’t mean to startle you. Are you lost? This is off limits back here unless you’re waiting to see Mr. Getto about something, and I believe he’s still on the floor right now.”

"No! I’m not here to see him-or anyone for that matter." The unknown man shook his head, looking a bit red and sweaty which made Belle's face scrunch slightly in confusion. She was just about to ask why he was wandering in an area he obviously shouldn't be in, but he was soon stuttering out a reply. “But I will admit that I'm-lost! I was just trying to find the bathroom and ended up back here...”

“The public bathrooms are right out in front, you can find them next to the laser tag room.” The security guard informed him as she placed a hand on one hip-she wasn't sure how to feel with her strange gut reaction warning her something was off. “I’ll lead you to them if you’d like me too.”

“No, no-that won’t be necessary. I remember seeing the laser tag room, so I got it.” The man explained with shaky hands before he began to briskly walk in the correct direction to the restrooms. Belle decided to follow him, she was a bit worried and had a feeling there was more to this stranger than he let on... Though she couldn't tell if it was good or bad. He started talking again, and he didn't seem to mind her having veered off from her own path to join him as they strolled. “I was thinking too hard and must have missed it. I’ve been pretty busy today, but my son-he really wanted me to come to their big school party, and I can't just say no to the kid...”

“That’s sweet of you to tag along.” Belle smiled politely, and the man glanced at her only to nervously peer down at the checkered tiles. It made more sense with his explanation-he must be a parent to one of the kids from the elementary school. The young woman recalled from her chatting earlier that one other adult from the buses had a kid themselves and had come along as volunteered aide. Perhaps her intuition was jumping the gun then-her own father often got turned around when he was somewhere new and this guy seemed to be rather anxious in nature.

After walking less than a minute they reached the double doors which she held open for him, but after they turned the corner the stranger and his stocking cap flew right past her towards the men's bathroom.

“Ah-How did I miss them-so sorry again!”

The security guard tried to give a response in time, but he was already behind the door, leaving a baffled beauty standing aside.

“No… _Problem._ ” Belle mumbled, her brow still quirked, and she allowed a sigh to fall from her parted lips. ‘What a strange man… I've got nothing to worry about though, he was probably curious about what’s in the back and snooped a bit. Though, I’ll have to keep an eye out to make sure any kids don’t wander from the main floor as well or they might end up just as lost.’

So without a thought more she returned to entertainment area, combing back some of her auburn curls and putting on a wide smile for the kids running about in glee. The time flew after that, but there weren't any bizarre or unexpected instances that followed. One kid did end up falling and scraping their knee after roughhousing with another student over some tokens, but with a little bit of cooing and the application of a bright orange bandaid from the thoughtful security guard the boy was on his feet again in no time.

It was when dinner rolled around that it was the most silent it had been that entire night in Belle's opinion. She didn't talk too much herself as she was busy stuffing herself with delicious pizza as well, but Marco and August chatted enough for her-though she couldn't tell if Mr. Booth's stories were mostly true with a smidgen of a lie or the exact opposite. Then before she knew it the clock above the host desk was already chiming eight, meaning it was time for the kiddies to head back home. One by one they pilled back into the awaiting busses, heading off to get picked up by parents, and as soon as they were gone the emptiness she was used to settled through out the building. Most of Avonlea's employees remained to clean up well after the open sign turned off, but with nothing taking up her attention came a return of her previous thoughts.

However, Belle didn't even get enough time to properly think about how she was going to approach Rumplestiltskin later. There was more than just staff littered about-kids were messy creatures by nature after all, and the evidence of their time spent there was in the form of candy wrappers, plastic cups, and abandoned ticket prizes strewn about. Mr. Getto approached Belle just as she was making a move to head home to get some extra rest before coming back, and one second later she found a trash bag in hand after some hurried explanation from her boss who was soon running off to somewhere else in the building.

Well... So much for her previous plans. Yet, it didn't bother her too much as she bent down and snatched up the remains of a half eaten slice of pizza from beneath a table.

After all, extra money was good money... Right?

—————

Belle couldn't help but wearily groan out loud when ten 'o clock rolled around since the building was finally deserted. Marco had told her she could have left after nine but the mess was only half cleaned up at that point, and so like the noble knight she tried to be she had stayed to finish what they started. It was nice that he kindly offered to keep her extra pay extended till twelve if she went right to work guarding the place, and Belle gladly accepted it despite how tired she already was.

Now Avonlea had officially closed just like normal for all the staff were off at home early-save of course the lone security guard.

The pay would be well worth it she kept telling herself, but she was beyond exhausted. A small voice nagged at the back of her mind, reminding her she knew this was going to happen-after all Rumplestiltskin had given her a fair warning hadn't he? Of course he had, but she wasn't going to let him sit there looking smug while he gloated on about being right. 

“Hey, Rumplestiltskin!” Belle's call rung out as she strolled the back hall, her feet aching with each step. It was already pitch black in the entire family fun center, but her loyal flash light peeled the shadows back with a simple flick of her wrist. However, it didn't reveal any sign of the golden-green mechanical man anywhere nearby, and that made her start to worry her bottom lip between her teeth. “There’s no one here left but me so you can come out. Come on, you’ve even got a little bit of extra free time tonight to boot… Rumple?”

Her hollering cut short when her light fell on the open maintenance room door, and so her curious blue eyes peered inside, wondering if the animatronic was still within. Exploring further she found both the maintenance room and his small hideaway was just as empty, leaving the young woman to ponder where he had gone to. Before she retreated Belle snatched up the book that was still sitting upon his shelf right where she had left it and then wandered back out.

Instead of staggering back to her office to the comfort of her chair she walked about the floor again, finding herself observing and glancing about much like her mechanical friend who could always notice anything out of place. A few pieces of earlier missed trash ended up in her hands which she dumped off into a garbage bin she passed.

Yet, the animatronic remained elusive as ever.

“Rumple? Where are you?” Belle called out again, her brows furrowing when she didn't hear any form of response echo back. Without wasting anymore time she returned to the back hall like before, but with more anxiousness and confusion nipping at her nerves. ‘The tablet would be of no use to find him, he probably has it set to that static loop if he's wandering around the building... I hope he's not trying to purposely avoid me again.'

Suddenly she stopped in place when her eyes caught another door had been opened, one she hadn't noticed since it was only jarred a slight crack that was easy to miss. Curious, but far more interested in locating her companion, she opened the door to the break room and found just who she was looking for. The mechanical man sat in one of the folded chairs towards the large window, the one he’d appeared in that fifth night she’d worked here and the one they used to wave to each other as she left on most mornings. The blinds were pulled up halfway and she could see a good portion of the dark star speckled skyline against the cut of his figure.

Surely Rumplestiltskin had to have heard her with his keen hearing when she entered, but he remained stock still, peering ahead with his mop of scraggly hair hiding his face.

It was obvious without him saying anything at all that he was still effected from earlier... Which was a topic he most have known she was going to bring up once they were alone. Tiredness settled even more into her bones, but Belle decided to take her time (she's got plenty of it after all), choosing to go work on making her some coffee first. A gentle silence remained throughout the space as the young woman put some grinds in the awaiting machine and set it up to brew. When all she had to do was wait she returned to the table where Rumplestiltskin hadn't moved an inch from in the entire time.

“It’s really pretty out tonight...” Belle softly said as she pulled back the opposite chair from him and sat down, placing the book between. From this position he was no longer hidden behind the curtain of hair so she could see his profile staring with a blank expression out the glass pane. Those giant eyes were locked onto something she couldn't see-more than likely something she never could.

Belle shifted herself so that she too could look out, but more so into that vast cloudless sky. The summer constellations were still in line and visible to the naked eye thanks to the street lamps and neon signs having fallen dark around Avonlea. It'd been a while since she'd seen such a beautiful sight, nor had the company to enjoy it with. She never got to see much of this during her years in Boston, and she had no friends to indulge such a simple thing with...

“It’s very pretty indeed.” Rumplestiltskin abruptly spoke a few seconds later, and her drowsy blue eyes flickered to him. “Even when all the buildings lights are on at night I can still see most of the stars shine through... I guess, it’s one of my few… Advan-van-tages perhaps?” He chuckled gently, but it was hollow throughout-void of any actual delight. Despite sounding relaxed Rumplestiltskin was arched like he was ready to bolt or run at any given moment, and it was easy to figure why. All that she had heard and thought about earlier was festering in her mind again-all sorts of questions and inquiries bubbling up, demanding to be answered, but she kept them back.

After setting one elbow on the table to rest her chin in her palm she chose just to hum in agreement.

“Rumple...” The young woman trailed off, but somehow the lull of her voice broke his composure for his shoulders stiffened and his lower jaw clacked tightly closed with his upper mouth. While neither of them liked this situation what she had to say needed to be said, and so Belle mustered up her courage to continue. “I don’t know why you were meant to be destroyed or scrapped, and I've never really thought about it until what happened... Earlier… But I have no intention of finding out unless you are the one who tells me. I made you a promise not to pry-you deserve privacy and respect just like anyone else no matter what you think-but if you ever feel like you can open up, if you ever want to talk about it... You know I'm here for you…”

The silence hung heavy between them while he remained locked in place, looking far more like the eerie machine she first met. She was getting ready to get up and give him some space to think it over, knowing how hard it had to be to open up after having no one for so long, but then he surprised her.

“You’ll hate me.” His voice crackled with the words, hardly audible yet loud enough she heard it. “If you knew what I did... You’d truly be scared of me-you'd run as far as you could get and never look back all while cursing me-”

“I don’t think you have the right to say how I would feel or react about something like that.” Belle didn't mean to snap at him, but the emotion that sparked within her with his claim enraged her as much as it saddened her. To think he would believe she'd just up and flee from him or come to loathe him for something he must have done decades ago... It stung-more than it ought to.

At that Rumplestiltskin finally whipped his head around to look at her, though his wide alien eyes were peering back with fear deep within their depths. For a second she thought he was actually going to jump up from the chair and run far from her from how tense he was. Instead the machine’s eye lids lidded with a faint 'click’ while a sad smile twitched at the corner of his mouth.

“You’re cor-rec-rect. I don’t have that right at all…” He gave a tired sigh of his own, his sadness showing heavily as his parted shoulders full of wires drooped. “But what I did… You have no idea, Belle-I don’t know if I could handle you loo-kin-king at me like-like how everyone else did again... Fearing the monster-”

Without any warning Belle reached across the table and laid her hand upon his coated arm resting there. Instantly she got a reaction from him, his mouth fell agape as his gaze jumped from her fingers to her a couple of times. 

“Then you’d just have to take that chance, wouldn’t you?” Belle tilted her head, her tone turning soft again as she peered at him from beneath her lashes. “What’s past is past-there will always be things you can't change no matter how much you want to… But _I can_ see the good in you, the you-you are right now here with me. Even if you did something bad I wouldn’t see you as a monster for it, the guilt alone you’re showing me right now ensures me that.”

“What... You think there’s... Good? In me? In a broken down machine whose done terrible things... I’m not capable of having that-I don't think I ever could be.” The imp mumbled on in pure disbelief, but it was obvious his own insecurities were at play. Yet, she didn't miss the way his segmented hand near her own curled inwards, kneading and spinning something invisible between his clawed fingers. "You've read too many s-stories, dearie."

“You are capable of good-you've shown me it time and time again. And I do know that I am correct when I say that.”

Never had she seen anyone as flustered as him when he tried to stammer out a rebuttal. In the end the mechanical man simply darted his nervous eyes away which Belle couldn't help but enjoy with the small victory it ensured. One day she would show this machine just how much good she saw in him. True there was a lot she did not know about him, but all these nights spent speaking, interacting, and just being together had proved to her that this being right her beside her was someone who needed kindness just like any other human... No matter the parts, pieces, or faults that made him.

“You… You must have done well watching over the kids today-I mean I didn't hear anything cata-stro-strophic occur. See! You didn't have anything to work yourself up over-eh dearie?” Rumplestiltskin swiftly changed the topic before the security guard could say much more. However, Belle allowed him this, hoping that perhaps over time they would be able to talk about the things that he dared not to. The thought gave her hope, and not just because she wanted to uncover a grand mystery nor figure out what he'd done in the past.

It made her hope that she too could open up to him and bear her scars and fears-to let them both heal in ways they hadn’t been able to.

Her hand rubbed his arm in a comforting gesture before she pulled away and gave her reply. “No nothing did, thank goodness… It went really well, and yes-everything turned out just as the witty sorcerer predicted it. Though, I will say it was nice to see the kids enjoying themselves at Avonlea like I did at that age-it made me so nostalgic. It's hard to believe how long ago that was-hey! What’s that look for?"

Rumplestiltskin propped his own face up on a hand while a smirk crinkled across his silicone face.

"Enjoy-joy-ing Avonlea? I bet you had your nose stuffed into a book far too much to ever really enjoy it! From what I saw alone."

"So! That didn't mean I wasn't having fun-I was a little too old at the time for the few shows they did, but you know first hand I became an expert at Ms.-”

Mid sentence her jabbering was interrupted thanks to a big yawn escaping past her lips. 

“Oh-Jeez-pretend you didn't see that.” Belle spoke aloud, feeling bit embarrassed at having been found out now. There was no use in attempting to hide from him how tired she was when another yawn escaped her, soon followed by a small laugh. "Darn it! I was doing so good so far!"

“Aha! I knew you’d be tired after all that, but you're going to need more than just coffee to get by.” Rumplestiltskin tittered in glee as he leaned toward her with the silly impish personality emerging from his programing. "Or better yet you'll fail, and then I'll get to decide your punish-ish-ment! Nyeh!"

Belle shot him another unamused look before she got up and moved over to the coffee maker, clearly ignoring his teasing. He kept giggling to himself of course, but after pouring herself a cup she rejoined him at the table much to his delight. Steam rose up from the warm cup in her hands, and she blew at it gently, though her gaze caught sight of the smug face observing her. Darn him-she was going to prove to him just how wrong he was-about this at least!

It was then though that his interest switched from her to the book she’d had brought with her laying between their elbows. Upon picking up the worn copy of the classic novel ‘Frankenstein’ he thumbed open to the middle of the book, flipping through it in mild curiosity. There was nothing more interesting, Belle found, than watching his face flicker with emotion in his unique way as his eyes combed over the words pressed into the pages. Peace settled between them then-no longer the strain and tension that they had felt before while they sat looking to the window within the dim glow of the room.

“Would you like to read it to me?” Belle asked randomly after a while of neither of them saying anything.

Her question made him a bit surprised with how his metal eyebrows flung upwards on their tracks. She had never asked for him to read anything to her before, but with how comfortable everything seemed to be in that moment she wanted nothing more than that. Rumplestiltskin seemed torn himself-those glowing orbs inside his head went from gazing down to the book then snapping back towards her. More than likely he wouldn't want to hear how cute she was finding him to be right now-a man puzzled on what to do about someone asking something so normal from him. 

Deciding to keep such things to herself she merely nodded her head to encourage him on. He smiled back, that nervous fragile thing he wore so rarely, while he turned towards her and held the book out before him. The break room was soon echoing with his voice and it's Scottish like lit, and though it was a bit broken, for his words often reiterated themselves due to his faults, it was a lovely thing to listen to. As the sentences flowed forth, drawing the picture and scenes in her mind, the security guard rested both her elbows on the table, propping her head up with her palms to better listen.

_“The event on which this fic-ic-tion is founded has been supposed, by Dr. Darwin, and some of the physiological writers of Germany, as not of impossible occurrence. I shall not be supposed as acc-cord-ording the remotest degree of serious faith to such an imagination; yet, in assuming it as the basis of…”_

—————

_“But you are mistaken, my friend, if thus you will allow me to name you; nothing can alter my des-es-tiny listen to my history, and you will perceive how irrevocally-er-irrevocably it is determined-”_

Rumplestiltskin's voice paused mid sentence, leaving the rest to disappear into the soft darkness of the break room. The book had kept him quite enticed with its eloquent speech, he'd never read something quite like this before, but something far more intriguing captured his immediate attention. Across from him he watched the young woman slowly sink towards the table as one elbow holding up her face gave way. Somehow Belle had fallen asleep right there in her chair before he had noticed at all. Even the cup of coffee she had went out of her way to get sat next to her with its contents hardly sipped upon.

He made a 'tsk' sound from the electronic parts in his throat-he had warned her this would happen. The mischievous portion of his personality rose up then, insisting that the confident security guard should be rectified of her mistake. Rumplestiltskin smirked as he curled a set of segmented fingers at the bottom of his chin with maniacal glee shimmering in his eyes. Perhaps her punishment for slacking off should be a cold cup of water poured over her head? Maybe she'd jerk wide awake from several ice cubes down the back of her shirt-or from a pair of pots banged harshly against one another?

A few seconds of further contemplation on these ideas passed, but he ended up choosing to do nothing impish despite chuckling over the thought. Instead he laid the book down and reached over to grab her paper cup, get up, and dump it out in the sink. After washing it down the drain he returned to the table, taking a few quiet steps to stand beside Belle still quietly slumped over in her chair. The sight of her up close made his metal form still however, for he had not seen or studied a human being this closely for a long, long time. Belle's features remained peaceful as she slept unaware of the machine's glowing gaze, leaving Rumplestiltskin to watch the slight rise and fall of her chest with every inhale and exhale.

Strands of her auburn hair were spilled over her shoulders, her lovely lips parted slightly, and her small fingers curled and yet lax against the table top. Like a painting she laid there as an embodiment of beauty, barely contained and still so vibrant. All together she was living, breathing, warm and soft-these things he was not nor things he could ever hope to understand. He knew this well enough, humans were all the same in this regard as he'd seen many go and come over the years as he watched from the shadows and hid from their sight... But not a single one had ever drawn him out of the darkness and towards the light they dwelled in like this unique child-no, like this one of a kind woman had.

“Oh, my silly knight… Look at you now.” The animatronic spoke gently, unable to keep back a fragile smile. “Perhaps I could forgive this grievance… Just this once.”

Rumplestiltskin knew he’d forgive her for such a small human need such as sleep regardless-or anything else for that mater. Despite how terrible he was and how he'd come to begrudge humans he couldn’t harbor any ill for this living creature who had welcomed his unsightly form against all he had done. He was far too gone now to deny that his noble knight had taken hold a portion of his system as her own, and that he cared for her much more than Avonlea or anything possibly within it. To know she could care for him too-enough to bestow his rough molted cheek a kiss even, sent the mechanical man's wires humming and twitching within his body.

Yet, that drive to care for her in return was nagging at him that very moment. Ms. French couldn’t be left to snooze away at the table, or she’d end up with a horrible kink in her neck and back from the odd angle. The couch in her office would be far more comfortable from his limited knowledge of such concepts, and besides, she’d be safer tucked in the warmth of the cozier room.

Just thinking about picking her up, holding her in his arms, and moving her down through the hall made the imp kneed his hands nervously at his sides. A slight scowl crossed his golden-green face at this sudden rise of fear within him as he mulled over how best to carry her. Of course not too long ago he'd done just that, but she had been in deep unconsciousness after hitting her head against the kitchen countertops and he had carried her without much thought since she had needed immediate medical attention. This here was different-more... Intimate than he'd ever been nor could have imagined to be with anyone. 

His gears twisted uncomfortably at the possibility of her waking up within his grip and screaming out in fear at being found hoisted into the monster's arms. It’d hurt too much to see Belle scared like that again, and from him just trying to make her more comfortable no less. But in the end her comfort mattered far more than his anxiousness, and he hoped with all his parts that if she were to wake she would not react badly.

With delicate movements, which was hard for something that had no comprehension of actual touch, he wrapped an arm under her leg and behind her back. Hoisting her into his grasp was easy, but he took his time as not to jostle her too much. Little Belle French was not a problem at all to carry for the animatronic, though his encoded memories compared how she was quite a bit taller and overall a bit heavier than when she was a wee child. That was another strange thing that humans did and he could not-they grew and changed, constantly developing-never remaining the same. Such a peculiar trait to have that he couldn't help but envy.

What he wouldn't give to be able to change.

‘After fourteen years she's still so little even all grown up… Perhaps there are things that do not change after all.’ Rumplestiltskin silently chuckled to himself before he, with Belle and all, strolled out of the break room and towards her office. The click of his heels bounced around him and the hall as the beauty in his grasp remained sleeping with her face pressed against the leathery lapel of his coat. When they reached the already open security office he decided to leave the light off, not needing it himself personally and so his security guard would remain asleep. A portion of him didn't want to release her just yet as he stood beside the couch-he even pondered sitting there himself and holding her for the rest of the night. Mortified at the brashness of his thoughts the animatronic forced himself to lay her gently upon the couch before glancing to her face, worried in his haste that she’d woken up.

Belle hadn’t to his relief. A neutral expression remained casted about her features, making her appear so tired and exhausted that he wondered if she would dream at all. Hoping to make her more comfortable Rumplestiltskin looked about the room and its cupboards in hopes to find a blanket that might have been stored away recently, but all he had to make due with was her own jacket hanging on the back of her chair. With her somewhat tucked in he stepped back and looked down at her to wonder how on earth an amazing creature like her ended had ended up working in such a lonely place. 

Then again it seemed she was drawn to Avonlea for some reason for she kept returning to be locked up within its stone walls...

Rumplestiltskin's slats for eye lids lowered as he thought about that event years, and years ago in perfect detail. He still had never come to understand why she had holed herself up here at Avonlea on her lonesome nor exactly why she had wailed into the dark, spilling torrents of tears down her face that made him wish he could've also weeped for her. They were tears she more than likely had long forgotten just to escape the pain, he never caught the spark of recollection in her gaze nor the hint of knowing what had occurred. It was for the best in his opinion that she'd forgotten him and such a terrible night.

After he shook his head of wiry hair his knees clicked, bending down on them so he could lean closer to her. “It’s going to be okay B-Belle… You don’t have to face another night like that, at least not alone… I promise. If you don't turn me away... I'll stay by your side.” He cooed in a much more human tone that usual. Right then and there he wished he would be brave enough to lean down and kiss her on the forehead much like how she had kissed him on the cheek.

As swiftly as he neared her he rose back up to his feet and towards the opposite wall. There he slumped down against it to gaze sadly over at the young woman from across the distance between them.

The machine knew that this too he couldn't do no matter how much he wanted. First-there was the fact he was not a human being nor ever would be, meaning he could never return such real gestures no matter how he wanted to... And two... Perhaps worst of all...

He was not brave.

“I… Don’t worry about Avonlea tonight, I’ve got it covered. You can rest easy... I'm not going to let anyone get in...  _I'll protect you._ " He whispered as if she were awake and listening before tucking his legs up towards his body. Silence filled the empty spaces of the quaint little office, filled otherwise only with the ticking of the clock, Belle's faint breath, and Rumplestiltskin's whirling mechanical parts. "Good night, Belle, sleep well..."

This here at least, defending her and watching over her, was something he could do. Rumplestiltskin understood well enough that he was not able to walk beside her as an equal, but with his horrible frightening might he would protect her from the world outside as the monstrous machine he was. Nothing would get in or out of this room with him on watch, leaving Belle free to dream of worlds and better places beyond this one as she ought to. As an employee of Avonlea she was under his complete protection, and that meant no one would ever harm a single hair on his security guard's head.

But even more so... He would...

He would make sure that no one would ever hurt his friend.


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Time goes by and Ms. French has been working hard on trying to figure a way to help the faulting Rumplestiltskin from further breaking down. She decides to become his repair technician herself and thus during an inspection finds more interesting facts about her odd mechanical companion.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 06/14/16- Chapter Ten first-revision completed.

To Belle one of the advantages of people already thinking her rather peculiar was that she didn't really have to worry about actually being peculiar.

Or at least that was how she thought it went. As with anything there were always... Some exceptions to the case.

At the moment it was just another beautiful and normal summer day in Storybrooke while Belle’s car was being worked on over at the local auto body shop. It was the only business of its kind in town, had a few employees, and was owned by a man named Mr. Tilman, a rather nice guy with a set of mischievous twins that she knew visited Avonlea on occasions. Currently her older vehicle sat in one open garage as it was being operated upon by a nice young man named Billy who had humored the beauty's odd request upon arrival. Instead of waiting in the small break room to sit around and mess with her phone till the job was done Belle was out in the shop watching the few mechanics work. Now, that was nothing too strange, but to make her situation more peculiar she had with her several books she had recently bought on various concepts of machines-from the basics of classifying parts to creating higher end animatronics.

“That there-I’m not sure what that is exactly.” Billy scratched the back of his head as he looked up from the page Belle had open to in one of her books on building and maintaing animatronics. She had taken up a free stool to sit near by so she could show him diagrams and pictures in hopes to learn further. Yet, there was far too many jumbled images of mechanical parts that she wasn’t sure on and neither the mechanic it seemed. “This is a bit different than car parts I’m afraid, Belle. I mean I can tell you the basic motors, what tools are necessary-all the simple stuff, but I don’t work with computer mother boards I’m afraid.”

“That’s okay… It’s just, no one here in Storybrooke has any real clue about handling machines or simple robotics beside you guys here in the garage.” Belle explained with a sigh before closing the book with a soft 'thump' of its pages. As the young woman went on Billy returned to the space underneath her car to continue his ongoing inspection. “These books have gotten me caught up on a lot so far-like you said, the simple stuff and terminology, but I know I need actual experience if I want to help fix...  _Things._ ” One of her hands flittered through the air before she calmed it by smoothing down a wrinkle in her skirt.

It didn't go past her that she was starting to pick up a habit from a certain someone with even flightier hands. 

“Oh yeah, that reminds me-I heard that you're the one working over at Avonlea as the night guard now. A buddy of mine worked that same position when it first opened back up after that remodeling Marco did." She could hear Billy give a muffled small laugh. "He'll hate me for telling you this, but my buddy-Jack Crown, went one whole week there before he totally chickened out and quit. He still can't even talk to Mr. Getto about it to this day.”

"Really now?" Belle managed to stop the playful knowing smile from forming on her face-not that he could even see it from where he was. Yet, behind her pretty blue eyes all that she saw was the outline of a familiar face lingering in the shadows of her office doorway, slowly drawing itself into the dim yellow light. Revealing themselves were those rotten jagged teeth, scaly silicone flesh, and set of alien looking eyes full of mischief and emotions despite their mechanical construction. All these features belonged to Avonlea's strange inhabitant who no doubt ensured that this young man Jack had scurried away from Avonlea like every night guard before him with his tail tucked between his legs.

Not that anyone had a clue of the truth except for her.

"You know I don’t find Avonlea scary at all. I’ve been working their over two months, and I use to visit all the time as a kid too..." The young woman admitted in a hushed voice while her happy and peaceful memories of summer days spent so free and quiet flooded her mind... The familiarity warmed her heart, and she felt the warmth grow with all the new memories she'd made there with Rumplestiltskin the last few weeks. "It’s a rather peaceful place when it's all dark and quiet."

Scooting himself on the garage floor Billy moved from under her car so he could peer up at her and quirk a brow in concern. “Then you're braver than I am by far. That place used to creep me out so much when I was a kid that I never went near it, even now I still keep my distance... Between you and me those robots he's got in there are pretty freaky looking.”

“They’re rather charming and cute in their own way in my opinion, but to each their own. Also, they're animatronics if you want to be precise.” Belle pointed out, a wide smile dappled on her pink lips, earning an eye roll from her mechanic as he rolled back beneath the belly of her car.

Well, she did have to somewhat agree about Marco's new crew of mechanical entertainers. Those models were kind of scary to look at when one was all alone in the dead of night-probably because they appeared so soulless and lifeless. However, her bipedal walking animatronic companion was not like that in her eyes-even though he had terrified her at one point when he'd first appeared against the back door, screeching inhumanly at her when he'd chased after her to frighten her off. That wasn't just the only reason why he was different. Rumplestiltskin operated more like a complex robot or an android from some science fiction book in terminology than compared to the other animatronics which were made of simpler and cruder parts despite his age. That was all made clear enough from how he could walk around and function so human like in movement and vocalization along with how he could think and decide for himself...

Or how he held such pain inside himself, just like a human being...

Belle's hands tightened on the book in their clutch, her own emotions fluctuating with all the times she'd seen such similar looks to her own in the twitches of Rumplestiltskin's artificial face. There was no doubt in her mind that he experienced hurt too-he did a lot without ever admitting to it. From the way he'd acted the night she'd first seen him suffer a 'fit' or the moments after-fearing she'd been afraid of him or worrying about hurting her by accident in their games... Not to mention the day she heard Mr. Getto and August talk about an incident that she was sure Rumple was involved in a long time ago-the horror, sadness, and pain fueling his reactions...

She still wasn't sure exactly _what_   **he**  was though.

While deep in her heart she recognized he had some form of a 'soul', proven to her all the nights she spent alongside him, there was still no explanation as to why. Either some one had made him this way or by some form of sheer luck he emerged from within the programing and code inside his machinery and body. Was he a random form of artificial intelligence? Did someone figure out how to create a sentient machine, or was he somehow a fluke? Whatever it was the caused him to turn out like this she didn't know, and never would more than likely.

But what she did know was the fact that he wasn't indestructible. Like any other machine, regardless of what he was inside, his parts were breaking down and falling apart further each day his body went unchecked. Of course that was why she was here and trying to gain as much knowledge as she could to help him this way. So far her results weren't reaching the level she was wanting-so much of the material was foreign to her and the other people she went to. Sadly her own father was of little help with any advanced subject beyond 'college football' and 'floral arrangement'.

'Still, I can't give up-no matter what... If Rumplestiltskin is going to have any shot of a happy 'life' in or beyond Avonlea he needs to get repaired. I don't want to ever have to see him suffer like that again, and I'm the only one who can help him right now.' Belle thought to herself as she set her chin in the palm of her hands, leaning forward on the stool. A bead of sweat formed on her brow from the building humidity in the garage, but relief found her as a bit of a breeze crept in from outside. A small smile graced the corner of her mouth when she felt it brush against her bare legs and arms, tugging gently at her loose brown locks of hair and light blouse.

Belle's inner thoughts were pulled away when she heard Billy start speaking again while he remained occupied working on some stubborn part. “You know... They use some heavier and more complicated equipment at the fish cannery on a regular basis. Some of the guys working there might have a better idea than me or anyone here at the garage-just a thought."

The beauty's features lit up at the incredible idea, drawing her back straight up from hunching over on the stool. She couldn't believe she hadn't thought of that herself yet! The cannery was a perfect place for her to obtain more useful skills and information-perhaps not exactly what she was looking for but it was a start! Bounding up and onto her heels Belle scurried closer to her vehicle, unable to contain the eagerness bubbling up inside that had her hugging the heavy book in her arms. “They do have some more advanced equipment there! Perhaps they have a mechanic or repairman on hand who visits on a regular basis that I could ask advice or even training from. Thank you for the excellent idea Billy-you're absolutely amazing!”

As she giggled softly the young man reappeared from beneath her car, his dark cheeks turning even darker as he wiped at his head with a rag.

“Thanks, and hey... If you want perhaps-you could tell that to Ruby by any chance?”

"I'll might be able to put a good word in for you, but I can't make any promises." Belle teased the young flushed man before darting back over to the stool and her stack of books, quickly setting hers back down as she snatched at her purse. "In the meantime I'm going to step outside and make some important calls-I hope you don't mind."

"Not at all, I'm almost finished, all I have left is your oil change after this." Billy said as he rose back up to full height, towering over her a little as he tucked his rag back into a pocket of his blue jumpsuit. "I'm curious though... What exactly are you needing all this information for-I know it must have to do with those Avonlea robo- _animatronics_ , but it seems really, really, important to you."

"I could tell you... But, it's top secret." Placing a finger up to her lips the beauty watched the mechanic's expression become even more puzzled before she waltzed past him and outside the open garage door. That summer breeze was far stronger beyond the brick walls, bringing with it the fresh scent of cut grass while she put some distance between her from the faint noise of the auto body shop. Drawing out her phone she began to browse the web for the businesses number, hoping to be able to get ahold of someone and bother them with her inquires. Despite the oddness of the situation she prayed they would be willing to aid in her request, yet, she had a good feeling this would work out in her favor.

As she leaned against the outside of the building her lips remained stuck in a wide smile. It painfully tugged at the corners of her mouth, and she was sure anyone driving by could see it from miles away. There was hope brimming in her heart now, and if there was one thing Belle French was good at-beyond her reading comprehension and Ms. Pac Man abilities, it was definitely not giving up on something even when she looked to be without any chance of succeeding. She'd been proving herself thus far all on her own, forging her life despite the lack of adventures she'd once dreamed of, and she was going to continue onward... But this here-this wasn't about her pride-nor was she doing this for her sake...

It was for Rumplestiltskin's... And that made all the difference.

Her bright blue eyes lidded as she wondered at what his reaction would probably be to this news. No doubt from his anxious nature he was going to have some reservations about her trying to help him, but surely he'd come around since he needed the aid. It was a better choice than no one fixing him at all and having to slowly rust into pieces, but... She just wanted to make sure he was 'alright', and that he could 'live' without fear of a 'fit' or feel that his 'brokenness' meant he couldn't find a place beyond Avonlea's walls... Or even, at her side.

A soft blush began encompassing the curves of her cheeks at that thought, though she didn't know why, as two birds sang at one another loudly on the roof above. It was then in the back of her mind that a familiar tune came to her, one that sounded a bit childish in rhythm like the creatures above. Right away she recognized that it was the strange song Rumplestiltskin sang some nights throughout the family fun center when he was alone. Yet, it too was another mystery just like the mechanical man whose sole audience was the emptiness as he wandered, sounding so lonely that it caused her fragile heart to crumple further.

For now she hummed it softly to herself, her tune far lighter as the gentle gale whispered alongside her.

Part of her hoped to hear his peculiar high pitched voice mingled with hers someday, free from the broken glitches and melancholy that consumed it...

And maybe... Just as happy.

—————

There was only a sliver of moon hanging in the sky when a little white car puttered towards the empty parking lot of Avonlea before coming to a stop under the lone street light. The engine died down as the head lights flickered off, but the occupant in the driver seat continued to sit there a few moments longer.

"Shoot-I got here way too early tonight..."

After glancing down at the green clock in the dash of her car it assured Belle that she was indeed about twenty minutes early for her shift. It probably went against the rules for her to be so early-not to mention the fact she couldn't clock in till almost midnight, but her bouncing eagerness had her at the family fun center regardless. Catching a glimpse of the wide grin slathered across her face when she looked into her rear view mirror Belle had to laugh at herself. It felt as if she'd never stopped smiling since last week-her excitement followed her into her dreams as she slept.

Who could blame her? Things had started looking up for the little security guard the following days after her encounter at the auto body shop.

The extra bit of pay she had managed to get from the party she worked the week before alongside her usual paycheck had helped her somewhat financially. It'd been put to good use and was enough that the young woman had cash to spare to buy some things she’d been meaning to buy for a while. A few more books on robotics and machinery ended up in her brimming bookcases, a few tools in her arsenal to start with, and simple parts to practice her growing craft upon. With that the things she'd been researching for a while now were becoming useful, and even more so with the assistance she'd managed to get from the two mechanics from over at Storybrooke's cannery.

That itself had taken a little bit of her pleading her case in order to convince them to spend some of their time to allow her to follow them around, but it had been worth it. An hour here and there proved more valuable than Belle thought it would be despite how she was watching them repair equipment that was completely different in setup than an animatronic. Finally it seemed what she'd been obtaining from her books was becoming applicable. There was still so much she didn't know or understand, but for now she felt confident enough to start assessing Rumplestiltskin's parts to find what was irreparable or something that could be fixed.

Her heart sprang to life once more inside her chest... Now she could really do something for him, and that meant the whole world to her.

'I better not forget that other thing before I head on inside!' Belle quickly realized just when she swung her car door open to get out. The item in question was sitting in the passengers seat just like it'd been last night-she'd double checked that previous evening just to be sure not to loose it, and Belle grabbed the parcel along with her bag before hopping out of her vehicle. She'd ordered the item two weeks ago after she'd gotten all the information she'd needed for it, and much to her glee it had arrived that Saturday morning on her door step. Even if she couldn't help Rumplestiltskin actually repair anything tonight she'd at least have this gift to give him to help take care of one of his other issues.

Beyond excited Belle practically skipped her way into Avonlea, humming the imp's wordless tune to herself as she locked the door and set the alarm. There was no time for lingering about since she had to keep the gift a surprise, and so she darted to her office in hopes to be the first one there. Her boots clipped against the floor as she flew and when she reached her office door the light was off, a good sign the animatronic was probably out walking about the building. Flicking the switch on Belle glanced around, trying to find a good hiding spot, before she suddenly heard a familiar set of footsteps approaching.

Clack. Clack. Clack.

Belle's bright eyes widened in shock-it sounded like he'd be at her door any second now! Swiveling her head frantically about the young woman felt her gaze drawn back to her desk. She reached over and wretched open the biggest drawer, set the gift inside, and threw her discarded jacket in over the top for extra measure before shutting it slowly in hopes he wouldn't hear.

Clack. Clack. Clack.

The padding of the heeled boots was already right down the outside hall, and even though Belle had no reason to feel so flustered her heart beat was thrumming away the closer those steps got.

Clack... Clack...

Clack.

The 'clack' of his boots stopped right outside her open office door, but the building noise of ticking and whirring mechanical parts continued. As she turned around she was greeted to Rumplestiltskin's golden-green face peering over the door frame, his glowing amber eyes staring at her from in the black sockets of his skull.

“My my-you’re here rather early tonight!” He noted, his voice that ever high pitch from the electronic speaker in his throat. “For a moment I thought my sensors had imag-gin-ined hearing you scurrying about. But-you do know that you won't be getting paid extra showing up fif-tee-teen minutes before hand.”

“Yes-I'm not too concerned about that, and a good evening to you too Rumplestiltskin.” Belle greeted him a bit sarcastically for fun, and she caught how the corner of his mouth perked upwards upon the use of his full name.

Without her having to ask he moved from the edge of her office and stepped inside the room, no longer seeming to want to hide away in the shadows like he had weeks ago. The light revealed his unique form which highlighted his leather coat and pants as well as made his scales sparkle. There was no trepidation in his rigid form while they held each other's gazes, making the beauty smile even harder at him. Sure he teased her a lot about making sure she was doing her job and often told her how he didn't want to be around humans, but there was no denying that Rumplestiltskin wanted to be around her...

The truth was there-Belle knew he had come to like her-maybe even thought of her as a friend, and no impish quip or performance could conceal that.

Hiding her smirk by setting her bag down on her desk the beauty moved to face him properly. “I have to admit I got here early tonight because I couldn't wait to show you what I’ve been up to these last few weeks. I think now I’m finally ready to give my big secret away.”

“ _Big secret?_ Should I be trem-rem-bling in my boots or exalting your praise, dishonorable knight?” The imp’s leather coated legs shook in jest, but the rattle of his metal limbs made her snort out a laugh in amusement. Yet, she could tell he'd grown more than curious with how his eyes remained pinned upon her, waiting for her to elaborate.

After shaking her head at him she reached over, opened her heavy bag, and held it up over her desk. With a great 'WOOSH' she set free a deluge of books which spilled loudly out upon the table top, startling the mechanical man with how he flinched back. “I'm hoping the latter to be honest... You might not like the idea at first, but I'm sure you'll warm up to it.”

“What are you talking about, d-dearie? And what exactly have you been up to as of late?” He inquired, his voice growing squeakier than it typically reached, before he reached out a wary hand and picked up one of the books. It was the first one the beauty had ever bought to start her studies labeled ‘The Basics of Machines’. She watched as her companion held it up close to his face to study it himself with a rather perplexed expression.

Hoping he'd catch on quick with that wit of his she jumped into her explanation, trying her best to sound as assured as she could. “As you can see these are all different books on robotics, animatronics, and machine repair that I’ve been researching and learning from. I didn't what you to know when I first started, but I've been studying most of these for at least half a month-I even managed to learn some proper techniques from a couple of mechanics last week. Now I’ve learned enough that I'm sure that I can help you at least start to figure out what parts you need repaired or worked on.”

Proud of her achievements and hard work Belle crossed her arms as she now awaited for his response.

Instead of trembling in his worn out boots or singing her praises the golden-green animatronic simply stood there and remained completely silent... Which was not the reaction out of everything she'd possibly expected of him. It didn't help her confidence at all when his face remained void of emotion-robotic appearing in every sense, as he just stared at the cover of the book.

“Rumple? Earth to Rumplestiltskin!” Belle called out his name again, and the power of its ring drew him back out of whatever place he had been lost to in his skull. With a click he pivoted his head back on his plated neck towards her, reminding her more of an owl than a human from the movement. 

“Y... Y-You’ve gone to all this trouble for me?” Was what he managed to stutter through the warble in his voice.

“It hasn’t been any trouble-trust me.” The security guard stated before taking a step closer to him and his-yes they were-his suddenly  _louder_  ticking parts. “I’m genuinely curious on the whole subject and you know how much I love to read and learn… But I figured since I’m the only one who knows about you that it's up to me to help make sure you don’t fall apart or experience any more of those... Fits you have. I know you're damaged, you have to be after years of neglect, so you could use a good check ove-”

“You don’t have to do such a thing! It's not like I'm your p-problem to take care of!" Rumplestiltskin snapped back before opening his maw, revealing his sharp blackened teeth to her as if hoping they would keep her at bay. Perhaps after their first meeting such an act would've intimidated her somewhat, but now she just furrowed her thin brows at him and brushed it aside thanks to her stubborn determination. He seemed to sense she wasn't having any of his tactics, and the machine closed his trap before emitting a loud strange puff of air, waving a clawed hand like it could brush aside their entire conversation. “I'm sorry for sna-nap-pping at you... But my problems are not that se-ve-ver-ve... Severe! So what if I might… G-glitch every now and again, that's something I can handle on my own.”

If only she could believe that to be true, and from the slight scowl on his face he attempted to hide behind his wiry locks of hair he didn't believe it either.

She readied to open her own mouth to give him a good rebuttal, but stopped short before a word could slip past. Seeing him stand there, hunched over and looking so ashamed of himself and the problems he was obviously trying to hide-ones he felt no one should have to deal with, hit at home more than she realized it would. But... How different was he from her when it came to others wanting to help out? How many years had she spent brushing aside others to face all her problems on her own out of not wanting too feel like all she was receiving was pity or being a burden...

Belle's small hands clenched tighter at her sides as she mirrored the being standing before her, though his coiled fingers were twirling something invisible between their tips.

He'd gone so many years without anyone to help take care of him, worry about him, or for him to help take care of in return, so this had to be even harder for him... But it wasn't like... This wasn't something for him to be ashamed of! She didn't want him to feel like accepting her help meant loosing his remaining pride-one of the few things that was his. Yet, there had to be a point where he had to realize he wasn't in this alone-couldn't do it all alone... He didn't have to be, and she didn't want him to be either.

The scariest thing about this was... She wanted him to trust her with something this important, and she didn't want to let him down. That wasn't the only thing she wanted, because for the first time in a long time she wanted to be able to trust someone that deeply in return.

Even more, she just wanted that person to be him.

'What has gotten into me? Rumple's just my friend! We're just getting to know each other really... I mean... I do like being with him though, and I hope he considers me a good friend-even if I'm the only person that knows him...' Belle thought to herself, wondering at this new spark kindling in her chest towards the unique man before her. Heat flared through her cheeks when she noticed him tilt his head as looked at her with a nervous expression-one that she couldn't help but find cute. 'What am I doing-thinking about him being cute at a time like this isn't helping!'

She pushed down what was nestling inside the hollow of her chest, and instead used her courage to take another step towards him. As she drew closer his demeanor changed instantly as he stepped back from her like she was the one who was trying to intimidate him.

“So you're telling me that I've gone to all this hard work to help you and you're not even going to consider letting me?”

Rumplestiltskin stilled in place at her carefully crafted words, his fear-that she didn't blame him for, obvious across his face.

“I-I appreciate your efforts, dearie, I do... But you don't need to waste your time on the likes of me-I'll figure out how to f-fix myself-” He stammered out while his spilt brows drooped on their tracks, making him look rather apologetic and more ashamed.

Belle saw him withdrawing more, trying to slink back into the darkness of the hallway to protect himself, and she dared another step towards him. The simple act silenced him while his high length boots tried to force him another half of a wobbly step back.

“Please, let me do this for you, and you're not a waste of time-I'll keep telling you that till you get it through that thick skull of yours. You’ve saved me from getting a concussion that one night from my silly attempt at changing a lightbulb, and you also patched me up when I fell and gashed my head that night we met... You've been kind and let me work here alongside you when you could have told me to leave-even more so you've given me company in this rather lonely place, you accepted me... Can’t I try to repay you for all of that?”

“You don't owe me or need to repay me for anything, Belle... I'm the one who owes you.” The animatronic said without much thought, but he was so quiet and dejected sounding that it broke her heart further.

It appeared no matter what she said or did that she couldn't convince him... So, this was how it was going to be? Was he going to really turn her away without giving her a chance and leave her to watch him corrode and rust further and further?

Tears almost started to well up in Belle's eyes-all her previous plans were starting to seem pointless if he wouldn't even accept her help let alone want it. She went to turn from him and gather up all her books as the worst feeling arose in her in the form of shame at sight of her efforts laying there for him to see. Against her will they rose back up too, her own haunting fears that she tried to swallow down-the horrible echoes telling her she couldn't really help anyone...

She'd have to watch someone suffer without being able to do anything... Again.

However, she remained right where she was when Rumplestiltskin let go a gust of air from within some cylinder of his throat, a submissive sounding sigh of sorts. Hope flittered back through her chest as she turned her blue eyes up to his gentle glowing ones. It was then she knew from the soft smile he gave her that she hadn't lost the fight yet.

"Maybe I'll recon-con-sider... Since you’ve already spent so much time trying to find a way to help me I sup-pos-pose I should have the decency to humor you-nyeh?” The imp returned to his voice with his silly tittering, yet it was his acceptance that made Belle's smile burst forth on her flush lips. But without any fair warning she found the animatronic taking several steps towards her instead of back, surprising her good this time around. The distance between them became small enough that his gears were practically rumbling in her ears, and Belle's poor heart went racing off in her chest at their close proximity. “But then again... If I let you help me you might just make it all worse-imagine it! If I somehow ended up with an even sillier voice!”

His taunt was still playful, but the security guard rolled her eyes in response before reaching up a hand and flicking him on the tip of his cold metal nose. "That's not a nice thing to say to the person who just offered to help you out." 

"Why! How rude!" Ever the dramatic Rumplestiltskin hefted a hand to his orange vest lapels after he drew away, his hinged jaw hanging open in mock ‘horror’. "Now, you must understand why I have my qualms... While you are a very smart hu-hu-man and have learned much, you should know I'm not quite like the machine's in your books. I'm not an easy fix either, if I get damaged further it could endanger me..."

Belle had to wince at that, for it was one of the things she'd been fearing to consider. He made a valid point though-none of the machines let alone animatronics looked at all like Rumple did on the outside, so who was to say how different he would be from them on the inside? Not to mention if she really did hurt him by getting too curious or nosy she would never be able to live with herself...

For now she decided it was best she played it safe, and to help calm him from becoming worried or sensing her own concern she placed a hand tentatively on his arm. 

“I promise this first go around I'll just do a check up on you and see what can be done in the future. Also if it helps I won’t go pulling, tearing, or removing wires, parts, or anything along the lines like that.” Belle gave him a pointed stare when a look of disbelief crossed his scaly features from her hand on his sleeve back to her. It took a few silent moments but she eventually received a committed nod in response. Despite whatever anxiety he was probably concealing from her it appeared he was still willing to trust her, which she knew must have be taking him a lot of effort.

“Sounds fair to me... We have a deal I suppose! Though it seems if things go well I'm the only one who really ben-ne-fits when I think about it! HeheheeeheeeeEEEEEE-” He started his eerie giggling that no longer frightened her as much as it amused her, but the noise broke sharply in a sudden glitch, rising up in pitch far too high halfway through. **_"EEEEEEEEEEEE-EEEEEEEE-HHHEEEEEEEEEEEEE!"_**

Belle instantly let go of him and covered her ears with both hands, fearing her eardrums had been pierced by the shrill sound. Mortified Rumplestiltskin's hands scrambled up to his neck while he clamped his mouth down hard to stop the shrieking. Yet, the sound continued to echo within his throat in a muffled manner much to his horror. Forcing himself to do something along the lines of a human cough but with speakers and metal-which was by far the weirdest sound out of everything she'd heard him make, he forcefully stifled the broken laughter.

When he raised his head to glance at her she was sure that if he could've blushed his golden complexion would've been a toasty golden-brown.

"Perhaps I'm in more dire need than I thought..." The mechanical man admitted in embarrassment, twiddling his large hands with the leather cuffs and silk sleeves of the other. Without wasting any time of her own or commenting on what just happened the young woman reached out and took both his clawed hands into her pale ones, beginning to pull him towards the office door. He gave her no struggle-only a little shock at her touch, and for that she was grateful. Knowing what Rumplestiltskin was made of meant he had to be a lot heavier than he looked, and she'd hate to have to drag him down the long hallways if he were to suddenly lose control of more important body parts.

Hopefully he wasn't in that dire of need...

Regardless of what might occur Belle couldn't help but give him a smile as she started to take them through the dark corridors towards the maintenance room-ending up the leader this time around. Even in the near pitch black his eyes illuminated the small gesture for him to see, and the corner of his mouth twitched up in into a timid true grin. But it was when his scaly digits tightened their grip on hers, warming her skin despite their cold touch, that she realized just _how_ important this was.

“Yeah… Let’s go get started on that check up right now.” 

—————

The stool screeched unpleasantly as its legs scrapped across the floor from Belle dragging it, but she needed it to be in a spot with better access to the lamp's light on the work table. There was also the tool chest she wanted to be nearby so she had plenty of space to set down parts or incase she needed to grab for some tool... However, she had to keep reminding herself under her breath that things weren't suppose to get that drastic... Not on this first inspection at least.

Everything was looking good for the two of them to start when she stood back and gave the room one final glance over. She hadn't expected having to clean up as much as they had to, but Mr. Getto as frantic as he was often left his his work stations rather disorganized. With the two of them working together it hadn't taken too long, but during that time a bit of sweat had formed on her brow from the summer humidity building in the room which she wiped away with the sleeve of her buttoned shirt. Through out it all she wanted to remain the face of confidence, and continued to do so when she turned to look to the mechanical man standing a few feet away...

Her companion on the other hand... 

Getting Rumplestiltskin there had been an easy affair since he was trusting her as much as he could, but he remained rather quiet for most of their time in the maintenance room. Within his mass of circuit boards, wiring, and plates she was sure his anxiety was screaming at him that what they were doing was not a good idea. Yet, whatever thoughts or doubts he was having he held them back from her, merely giving her a nervous grin whenever their eyes met. Internally she thanked him for that... But at the same time she didn't want him to sit before her a complete mess and end up actually rattling in fear when she was checking him over.

So instead of questioning how he was feeling-which she was sure he wouldn't care for either at the moment, she tired to think of another way to help him relax.

He beat her to the punch when he spoke up first after a while the lengthy silence between them. "From your efforts alone this is the most clean I've seen this room in a very long time... You really would make a most useful m-maid!" The animatronic sounded like his nasally self while he brushed a hand across a now clean work table.

"Oh, so you think I'd be a better maid than a security guard? Perhaps I'm in the wrong profession after all." She couldn't help but tease in return, earning a scoff from her counterpart.

"I feel you are more apt to be a dashing heroic knight riding in to save the day than a security guard or a maid, but it doesn't hurt to have a var-rie-iety of set skills, does it?" A soft laugh peeled its way out of her throat at him-more so the idea of her taking up such an out of time occupation, and the coiled tension she could see in his jointed shoulders lessened. Still, there was a strange glint to his eyes that was not from their inhuman glow-a sort of melancholy that was apparent as he dragged his gaze over the room, the desk, tools, and pipes from the fixtures. More than ever Belle wished she could see through those eyes to see what he saw, to understand the many mysteries that lay behind them.

"Is there something wrong Rumple?"

Those amber eyes blinked a couple times at her despite not needing to at all-strange how he was doing that more often. "No-I was just thinking... This room hasn't changed much in the years I've been here, not even in the reno-no-vation. I guess it couldn't really, though there's no l-longer near as much junk and parts back here as there used to be..."

"Did you spend a lot of time here when you were still... You know-part of the crew?" It was still awkward to ask about the topic when she knew he was sensitive about it, but her curiosity towards his blatant sadness and past gave her a bout of bravery.

Rumplestiltskin paused as if to carefully think his answer over, a layer of quiet lingering between them again. If he needed time she'd let him, after all she had made him a promise that she wasn't going to demand answers from him, whether about his past here at Avonlea or the dark event that she knew haunted him even now... The young woman wanted him to feel comfortable enough to tell her about himself all on his own as it needed to be his choice. Then maybe, given some more time and trust built between them, he would open up on what he could.

"Remember you don't have to tell me if you don't want to." Belle reminded him despite knowing he probably never forgot before she drew herself a bit closer to him around the stool. His face twitched a bit from the machinery whirling away underneath, but he didn't back away from her like their near dance earlier. Conflict filled his features, and the lines of his scaly face became wrinkled as he frowned at the tiled floor beneath their feet.

"No-it's alright... There are just... Most of them memories I have are not pleasa-sa-nt things to hear, I wish it wasn't so..." His voice was quiet, making her lean in even closer to hear, but then suddenly she scooted back as he was the loud trickster once more with a flighty hand flittering trough the air. "But! To help sate your endless curiosity my nosy companion-I did spend quite a bit of time in this room before I was supposed to be thrown out. Marco use to keep all the spare parts for the other anima-tron-tronics back here since they were constantly breaking down and needing replacement. This was the safest room in the entire building to keep his so called  _expen-pen-sive-investments._ "

'At least that's a start... So, Mr. Getto must have used this room to house the old animatronics in disrepair then.' Belle thought to herself, though in her insatiable need to know more a flurry of other questions quickly rose up in her mind. After tucking her lip between her teeth in thought for a few seconds Belle backed up to the work table behind her and jumped up to sit comfortably on its edge. This caught the imp's interest as he watched her from where he stood, but when she beckoned him over he drew closer and leaned against the table beside her.

“Can I ask you a question-don't worry it's not really a personal one...” Belle explained, and Rumplestiltskin gave her a slight tilt of his head to continue. Growing a bit nervous again she licked at her lips that felt too dry-not noticing the pinpoint pupils that focused their immediate attention on the small quirk. She'd been curious about this since they first met and found out about the old animatronics, but now with his admission she was reminded of it. “How come you are the only one out of the older animatronic models left? I think I already know my answer, but I'm curious... Were the other machines  **like**  you?”

"No, they weren’t at all like me... But I think they were lucky not to get a comple-ple-xion as horrid as mine!” He tittered to himself, forced mischief gleaming in his alien eyes. Belle pouted at him and crossed her arms, starting to suspect that maybe she wouldn't be getting very thorough answers from him, though he seemed to roll his eyes at her response. “To be honest I don't know much about the other animatronics origins, but in my begin-gin-ning years here I had overheard and came to understand that they where built with a different operat-ting-ting system and model design overall. They were also already in Avonlea and set up when I arrived here twenty eight years ago-”

“Hey! Twenty eight years ago, that means you’re not that much older than me.” Belle jabbed a finger into the plush vest covering his chest, recalling a remark he had made when they had met for the second time. In their quarreling he had told her something along the lines about being around Avonlea ‘longer than she’d been alive’. So naturally she thought he'd been... Well... Much older as he looked to be.

“Three years is still three years, so I am your senior regard-gard-less.” He shot right back, continuing to tease her as much as she was trying to appear disgruntled (and it was hard to fight back the smile). “I am only physically made to look older-I doubt tech-nol-nology wise I could have been built much more before then, and besides! A vile sorcerer such as me is much more appal-pal-ling when we’re made to look like-like geezers...”

There was that self detrimental humor at work, trying to keep her at bay while dragging himself down... Unfortunately part of her could tell he really did feel that way towards himself. Yet, the beauty found she herself growing to really dislike his need to do so since she knew it wasn't true-regardless if that was just her opinion or not.

“Don't say that, you look good for whatever your approximate age is supposed to be.” Belle out right old him with a gentle expression, making him cock his head towards with his eyelids flung back into his head.

His look of utter disbelief made Belle wonder if he thought she was crazy for thinking that, though she knew he wouldn't be the first to wonder about her sanity. While she knew well enough that she was sane, maybe just a bit more odd than most, she took a moment to stop and really look at the being standing next to her. Appearance wise for a man made of alloys and molded parts he wasn’t appalling-sure he was a golden-green color that was fitting on him somehow, had scales and sharp claws, wiry wild hair, some rather scary looking teeth-not to mention large eyes the size no human could ever have, but all of it just made him look... Utterly unique to her.

Part of her auburn hair spilled across her shoulders as she absentmindedly leaned closer once more, the studious part of her examining him like one of her beloved books. Rumplestiltskin's profile was interesting to behold-all angular and sharp, yet through the artificial flesh and features his personality shone through. By far he was more human and vibrant in soul and mind than most of the people she dealt with on a day to day basis. From his peculiar giggling that was infectious to her, his true thoughtfulness and kindness he did poor to mask, or his witty dark-humored mind she enjoyed to banter with he was an interesting person to befriend...

It was in that simple silent moment shared by the two of them that she now realized a change within herself... How his physical properties were staring to fade away to her-no... That wasn't it-they were just becoming another part of him she _liked_.

Suddenly the animatronic made a nervous noise, seeming to catch on that she was staring at him, and Belle felt another blush adorn her cheeks as she quickly leaned back.

“Y-yes, oh sure! You're c-completely right! I'm rather dashing to behold-only after you take away the scales, and the green color, and the nasty teeth... When you take away everything!” He grimaced at the nothingness before him, clamping down his jaw tight enough she saw the joint stress beneath his faux skin. She hadn't meant to get him rilled up at all, and a pang of guilt washed over her. Surely he didn't think she was prodding at him or making fun-she never joked about things like that... In all honesty she had been truthful, in her eyes he looked good for his age and mechanical form whether he believed her or not.

Hoping a change in the conversation would help him relax again (and her oddly thrumming heart) she jumped off of the table to step in front of him. 

“Sorry to keep getting you off topic. You were telling me about the other animatronics before I rudely interrupted you earlier...” One dainty hand reached out for his own, an offering that the imp stared at before slowly accepting-her fingers curling up and over his shell. Together the security guard lead him over to the stool she had set up for him, and he sat down for her without question.

“A-ah... Where was I then? Right-I remember perfectly!" The previous timidness he'd displayed dissipated while the impish side of him returned. "You see there were four other animatron-tron-ics that were used here when this business first opened up. However, they were all put here in Avonlea a few months before I arrived, and they also to remain-main-ed on stage when I was locked away for a year-now this was all before the... What I d-d-did..." Rumplestiltskin's voice cut off at the end as his eyes lidded in deep remorse.

Belle felt her heart hurt for him that he was pushing so hard to admit so much. She didn't want him to continue if he didn't want to, but there was one key thing he'd said that caught her immediate attention.

‘That's strange-he said he was locked away for a year? So that means he was put away before the tragic incident even happened? Why...’ Belle noted, wondering the why on earth then he had been taken away from the entertainment floor if it was before this unknown horrible event had occurred. Parts of the puzzle were now forming to help show the image of the answers she sought, but Belle still felt so much was out of reach-

"Now, are we going to do this inspection or not, dearie?"

Rumplestiltskin's needling snapped her out of her daze, and the young woman quirked a brow at him and his sudden impatience. Releasing her own sigh she knew that they were avoiding what needed to be done-both of them in a way. So she swallowed down the urge to give him a good remark to focus on their task. Belle moved to stand behind him before setting a hand on his shoulder in thought on how to proceed, finding the slick leather hide of his coat cold beneath her touch. Somehow he noticed the minute brush as he snapped his head back towards her to stare at her from the corner of one eye socket.

They still had one thing that needed to be done before they could start Belle realized when she drew her hand back from his shoulder. From what she remembered on how he operated he had an access point to his internal parts on his backside somewhere, and with his current outfit there was no way they could work on him unless he... Well...

“Okay, I'm ready if you are, but you do know you're going to have to take off your coat for us to get anywhere right?" Belle managed to squeak out, her own voice a little bit higher than she was use to hearing. 'What on earth is wrong with me again? This is just-Rumplestiltskin, there's not need to be so worked up about it...'

“H-how silly of me to not notice that...” The animatronic softly tittered after a few seconds before rising back up to remove the leather from his person. The coat, once he slipped it off from his body-which was a another strange sight for the beauty since she’d never seen him take it off before, was apparently worse for wear than than it appeared. She took it from him to hang on a nook on the wall but saw up close all the small holes riddled throughout it, especially around the bottom trim. It was in desperate need of repair or replacement, and when Belle glanced to the imp she found that without such formidable wear he somehow was... Much smaller than before...

In a way he was much more human looking too.

Then another issue arose much to her dismay-and no doubt his. Beneath the cut of his coat Rumplestiltskin always wore a ribbed high collared vest, and that too was going to have to come off.

“The vest too.” Belle simply said in a more normal tone this time, though she was avoiding direct eye contact with the animatronic. She could see that Rumplestiltskin must have realized that already with how he was kneading his segmented fingers nervously against each other.

With a turn he put his back to her, perhaps to have her not see the slight shaking of his hands when he began to go about unbuttoning his vest. Of course one missing button made the job simpler and a lot quicker for him to do as it was soon thrusted her way. The vest, as Belle took and studied this garment too, was not near as peppered with holes as his coat, however, the fibers of the fabric were suffering severe abrasion and looked too frazzled to ever be fixed.

When she glanced back up from folding his clothes she found the imp standing before her in just his boots, leather trousers, and golden silk shirt adorning his slim frame. More of his sparkling body was revealed through the deep cut of the silk, part of the formation of a scaly metal pec peaking out behind the neckline, and the sight of it somehow set off the red in Belle's cheeks all over again.

‘Don't just stare at him Belle! What are you doing-you want him to feel like you're gawking at him again!’ Belle's thoughts screamed at her lingering gaze. Swiftly the security guard averted her eyes as she moved to pick up some random tools like she was inspecting them to look preoccupied. Why did this feel so weird all of a sudden? This was just supposed to be an examination of sorts-nothing intimate or well... Whatever it was starting to feel like.

“There, now are you content?” Rumplestiltskin asked, sounding a bit flustered himself from the jump in his tone. On a sharp turn she was facing him again, finding her features still a tad too warm for her liking. Instead of focusing on the cut of his shirt she turned her attention to the absurd poof of his sleeves that seemed quite comical with his large hands.

But still without looking at his upper half... The collar of his shirt was too high...

Further embarrassment rose up in Belle's fair features upon reaching the conclusion once more that this would still not do. “Rumplestiltskin, your panel... As you’ve mentioned and I've seen, is somewhere towards the base of your neck, so if I want to properly attend to fixing anything-”

“Examining.” Those eyes of his lidded while he promptly corrected her.

“Yes, if I want to attend to e _xamining_  your mechanical issues you’re also going to have to take off that shirt. It's just going to get in the way.”

“No.” Was his curt response with his head held up in a snooty manner, and Belle couldn't help but rub at the bridge of her nose. This whole situation was starting to become ridiculous! They were both grown ups technically-no matter his inhuman qualities, so there was no need for this childish response to something that wasn't that huge of an issue.

“Come on-don't be like that, we made a deal after all so you can't back out of it.” She sighed-partially wondering if she would have to end up dragging him kicking and flailing all the way back to the stool.

With a swift movement he whirled a few feet away from her, but from his new angle she could still see the edge of the grumpy pout he wore. “You might be the security guard here, but I don’t have to do anything I don’t wish to-dearie! If I don’t feel like making myself i-inde-cen-cent then I won’t!”

Now Belle had to cross her arms, beyond perturbed by the silliness of the machine who glanced back at her with a nervous frown upon his scaled mug. Perhaps this was his way of stalling, though he had to know they still had well over five hours left of the night to sit through. That didn't seem right-from the look of things it was more like he was feeling ashamed of revealing his body to her, but that didn't make sense either. Why would he need to feel that way? He wasn’t a human being so it wasn't like he had to worry about being inappropriate-in fact the entire concept of nudity shouldn't be a problem with him...

Unless... He had a reason to be concerned…

‘There's no way he's 'human' in that manner-no one would build an animatronic with features like that... But he is different than the others-what if he...’ The heat of the room became stifling when Belle’s gaze darted down to the small bulge at the crotch of his tight trousers. There was a curve to him there-he wasn't flat, but she couldn't make out if he... ‘Oh my god! No! No! Look away!’ Belle's head jerked upwards to focus on Rumplestiltskin’s face-thank god he was only looking more or less confused with his wide owl like eyes peering back.

Trying to avoid him even having the chance to wonder as to why she had glanced down at his lower half, which was embarrassing enough to herself that she had contemplated such a thing, she blurted out the first thing on her mind. “Fine! Are you going to make me come over there and take your shirt off for you then!”

That... Wasn't any better. If she wasn't so sure it was impossible to happen she'd say her cheeks were melting off her face at this point.

Meanwhile the big bad terrible Rumplestiltskin stepped back in horror, mouth agape, and eyes boring into her with with an indescribable emotion. "Y-You wouldn’t dare do that!” He cried out before snapping his dagger filled jaw closed upon the last syllable.

Feeling more than brave that she had reduced a mechanical being into such a state she took a few steps towards him before raising her hands out to reach for his shirt. He didn’t back down from her challenge, her approach only made his stance tight and rigid as if daring her further. That was until one of her fingers brushed feather like against the neck line of the soft silk garment. Immediately a short surprised screech rang out from his lips, alarming both of them enough that they stumbled back from the other in shock.

The mechanical man staggered straight into the water heater behind him in his attempt to escape her, sending the loud sound of metal hitting metal bouncing up through it and him. Altogether the quiet atmosphere of Avonlea shattered around them in a few mere seconds. Belle moved towards him to help, forgetting once more his inability to feel in worry for his safety, but he held up a hand to keep her at bay.

“I’m-I’m quite cap-pa-able of doing this-r-remov-mov-ing my clothes myself, dearie!” Rumplestiltskin growled as he composed himself, though he was quite flustered with how his eyes wouldn’t willingly meet hers.

The beauty took a few steps back, feeling far beyond flustered too while he reached up behind his neck. With a nervous glance tossed at her boots he began to tug his worn shirt over his head and limbs. At least he was finally done acting childish and helping them get this over with, but Belle found she wasn't sure if the price was worth it with how she couldn't pull her eyes away from his form. When he slipped his arms from within the sleeves he held the garment close to his side over one limb, like it could still conceal his body from her gaze. 

Sure enough as she expected the entire of him was that same golden-green color as his face, chest, and hands were. It also seemed that the bumpy formations of ‘scales’ were a part of his exoskeleton like structure beyond his silicone face since they went all across his mechanical form. Her bright blue eyes ghosted over his torso and arms in a sweeping glance, finding both of them were segment at places were the normal human body bent or shifted-pecs, waist, shoulders. The inhuman part of his appearance was pushed further by the jarring plate separations, the hollow notches revealing the mechanical joints in his elbows, and the tip of his hips showing above the seam of his pants that let her imagine that his lower half was the same way.

“Let’s get this examin-min-ation started then…” Rumplestiltskin mumbled as he moved towards her and sat with a mighty ‘plop’ upon the stool. Yet, the security guard didn't miss how his hands fumbled and rustled with his shirt, showing just how uncomfortable he was now. His mop of hair was all that faced her along with his back, but it allowed her to freely roam her vision over the exposed portion of shoulders blades to the pit of his arms without having to fear him noticing. Wires, cords, and mechanical parts connected his arms to his pad like shoulders along with his upper body, and here his inhuman aspects was most visible.

With great care one of her hands reached out and with the lightest pressure touched his lower back, letting Belle feel how the ridges of his scales were. Though he looked rough like a lizard in the fluorescent light-just how she thought the night she first saw him, he was just smooth and bumpy cold metal underneath her finger tips. Like the silk shirt she'd briefly felt he was not unwelcome to her senses, and part of her wondered what he'd think if he knew she thought he was pleasant to brush against-

“I can sense that you know.” Rumplestiltskin quietly said out of the blue, which made the security guard blink in surprise and snatch her fingers away.

“How did you know? Does it bother you-me touching you?” Belle's own voice felt too soft from how they were bellowing at each other just a minute ago-now the quiet of Avonlea around them was almost suffocating.

“N-no I don't mind-it doesn't bother me…” There was that sigh like sound gushing from his throat as his head bobbed lower, his tangled locks hiding his face from view. “It’s just… I can sense pressure more than what you would expect, the vibra-bra-tions too, they bounce around through my body and up my ports and cords somehow... I-I still don’t know what you ‘feel’ like, but I do know when you are... Touching me.”

“So if I were to press harder?” Belle's curiosity brought one of her palms against the curve of his odd shoulder, giving him a firm squeeze. Immediately the imp stiffened underneath her burning skin and it caused her breath to escape her in a sharp out take. 

She wasn't the only one to respond in such a way, despite being without breath the machine sounded as if he couldn't find his own. “Yes-I… Quite sensed that… Now-ahem! Can we get back to what we’re me-ean-aning to do?”

Belle gripped internally at how her cheeks had not stopped simmering like a metal pot on a stove top while she let him go. Yet, the young woman couldn't _not_ notice just how odd she felt around him right now-a feeling that was drawing her closer to him and urging her to flee all at once... This new reason she was drawn to him didn't make any sense in a logical manner-first off he wasn’t a human being-he had no 'glinting abs' _,_  'toned skin', or any 'normal attractive traits' that could distract her with simple physical appeal. Against knowing this she was still reacting to him much as if he were a flesh and blood man... Then again it’d been a while since she’d actually last been around someone like this-just a man being shirtless no less-but Rumplestiltskin was still an animatronic being she had to remind herself in the moment.

Then again from the way her heart was pounding by being near him it didn't appear to care a lick about that, and she only grew more confused and conflicted. But with a shake of her head she pushed those strange thoughts aside-perhaps it was just because she was a peculiar lonely human being and he a far more peculiar lonely machine.

For now she had to return to attending to Rumplestiltskin as his repairman like she'd been working so hard to do.

Glancing back over his body the security guard easily noticed the small panel at the base of his neck which was right under the separation from his nape to his shoulders. It was large enough she was sure she could fit both hands inside his body when opened-a rather nauseating thought in a way that had her frown slightly. That wasn't going to stop her of course, but she did take in how his coiled hair might become a hassle or get in the way. Reaching to open the panel and see if that was the case Belle stopped when beneath those long fiber locks she caught sight of something black that snagged her curiosity. 

‘Strange… It almost looks like there are some letters on him.’ Belle thought before she lifted up a handful of his hair, though the mechanical man didn’t say a peep as she did so (he probably couldn’t ‘sense’ that at all). However everything whirling about in her mind came to a standstill when she discovered there was in fact printed writing labeled there on the back of his neck.

Those large abrasive characters branding him read _'01-A'_.

“Zero-one ‘A’?” The words spoken aloud echoed through out the large room, settling amongst the cracks and crevices to fill the empty spaces with their imposing weight. Belle bit her bottom lip immediately after, wondering how Rumplestiltskin would respond to this reveal of information she had just found out. Not that she could have helped herself as this was one of the first new personal things she’d come to learn about the animatronic since she met him. He’d never mentioned a set of digits and letters permanently marking him, and she’d would have never seen them with his coat and clothes always hiding them from sight.

“Ah yes, I almost forgot about that!” The imp snorted in a sarcastic manner-accompanied by a small whimsical giggle that broke in a glitch. “I’m sure you’re curious as to what it means-I can already see that insat-sat-iable inquisitive nature of yours burning brightly in your eyes…”

There was an unbearable pause that followed, and Belle felt her need to understand-to know more about this peculiar man-swell painfully in those seconds. From where she stood she could already see his toothy smile mocking her as he sat there quietly, and she tapped on the top of his skull for postponing her much needed answer.

“Can I help you, dearie?” He teased, turning his head to give her a smug glance from the corner of his eye. More than a bit irritated she merely kept staring at him, hands set at the sides of her grey slacks, awaiting a response if he would ever feel so inclined to share and not tease her so. It appeared she got through to him when he began to pout, and his little game ended when he shrugged his shoulders. “Zero One ‘A’… It’s my name.”

“What? That's your name? I thought your name was Rumplestiltskin?” Belle flat out asked, as she was more confused than before with this additional knowledge. Inside the summit of questions was increasing more than her meager pile of answers was which was horribly frustrating to her so called insatiable inquisitive nature.

“That is my progra-gram-med name-who I 'am' as a being is essentially the character I play-and whomever I’ve played as. However I figured out early on that ‘Zero-One A’ is my model name, or to better put it the name my body or this metal husk itself is referred to. I can also assume it was what my creator called me before I was set to play as the villainous imp ‘Rump-ple-lestiltskin’ you see before you.”

‘So from when he was first created he wasn’t ‘born’ as Rumplestiltskin? That doesn’t make much sense-aren’t animatronics decided before hand on what or who they are going to act like? Or who they are going to be?’ Belle thought, mulling hard about this twist to the layered past of the machine before her. Once again this additional information simply left her out at sea and further from reaching the answers to the mystery surrounding him.

The beauty gently traced a finger over the numbers on his neck, circling the curve of the zero. ‘So he once was simply called Zero One-A… I couldn't imagine being referred to just as numbers and a letter, what kind of inhuman treatment was that?’ Her pink lips tightened into a thin line-it wasn't like he had been a human being in whomever's eyes belonged to who created him... 

“What does it stand for?” After a moment passed she inquired more on the topic as she removed her hand and allowed his hair to fall back down over his neck. “The ‘A’ part I mean.”

With that Rumplestiltskin sat straight up and stared ahead at the empty space before him. “I’m not sure... I’ve never been given an explanation. I figure the 'Zero One' must mean I was the first of a spec-pec-ific line but the 'A'… No matter how hard I dig deep into my memory data banks or think about it I’m left with nothing of an answer. Ah-which brings me back to what I was trying to say earlier about the other four anima-tron-tronics-they all had different numbers labeling them than my own. Thinking about it all these years I've reached the conclu-clu-sion that the person who sold me didn’t create them at all-I t-think he got them through someone else.”

After a short paused he continued, though she could see his demeanor starting to diminish. “Overall they were physical-cal-ly modeled different from me too… They couldn’t walk around like I could-not really, and they couldn’t formul-mul-ate sentences they weren’t already programmed to say. I first began to show my ability to refuse and reject my programming or commands early on-from day one you could say, but they never did. Instead, those animatron-tron-ics did exactly as good machines should-certainly didn’t scare the kids like I did… But in the end they were scrapped and thrown out just the same as they tried to do me...” He quieted on the last part, yet the absolute dejection in his voice, more human sounding than normal, sent a mournful expression across her features. 

“So they didn’t show sentience like you-or had any type of consciousness.” Belle said in a low tone-not even needing a bob of his head to confirm it for her after all he had said. However, the reality of all that she had come to learn hit her hard as a painful throbbing began to build beneath her ribs. “That means all this time you've been alone, alone like this…”

A tired chuckle-not much of one that it didn't glitch, was what came back to her. “That's alright, it's better off it ended up this way-I-I've come to understand I was meant to be alone-”

“You can’t possibly mean that-no one should have to be utterly alone! I don't care whether your human or not-you shouldn't... That's too cruel.” Hot tears were brimming at the edge of her eyes while her hands reached out to hold him-more than ever she wanted to show him the compassion he'd been needing for so long. How could he think that-what he'd endured was alright? The poor thing in her chest was breaking just by thinking how for twenty eight years he had been lost, confused, and hurting without anyone to help him at all-and even worse he'd always thought such a fate was what he deserved.

Through the labyrinth of her mind arose the haunting memories of her mother against her wishes-how she had spent seven months alone-trapped much like him, before the pain and agony she endured took its toll. Loneliness was no friend to her-it had taken so much over in twenty five years... It was the reason why left a child of eight had ended up motherless and feeling horribly alone herself, and it was what left a grieving husband already mourning the loss of another to turn more to his drinks.

Unable to stop herself Belle gently wrapped her arms over Rumplestiltskin’s shoulders, holding him close to her body and feeling that warmth that embed from his torso through the fabric of her shirt. A loud startled gasp escaped the mechanical man, but that made her press tighter to him in fear that he’d pull away. It was foolish and silly, but deep down she hoped that maybe-somehow he could feel her own warmth melt into his.

To be isolated for so long... Without anyone to understand his pain or try to… Was such an unbearable thought.

“B-belle, please, it's okay-I’m fine, r-really.” He cooed to her in a manner that sounded strangely familiar though she didn't know how. Despite the physical contact occurring he didn't pull away from her embrace, but she could feel his body trembling against her like a leaf in a raging storm. “B-Besides that's not an issue anymore… I’ve got a bothe-the-rsome security guard to deal with right now, hardly have enough time to myself.”

A bothersome security guard huh? He was just teasing her like always, but it warmed her further than just the heat of his parts beneath his plates how much he did enjoy her being with him.

“You know what, I think you’re happy I’m here.” Belle joked through the few tears that spilled into the soft fibers of his hair brushing against her cheek and tickling her.

“I’m certainly not unhappy.” Rumplestiltskin admitted impishly of course, but that caused her lips to pull up high upon her face.

Prying away from him took some extra effort, but the young woman managed to step back and smooth down her shirt as she regained control of her wild emotions. Yet, the pitter patter of her heart was slowing down after holding him like that-somehow it had been more soothing than what she'd expected... Even in his current undressed state. “Alright-I’m sure you’d like your clothes back on anytime now, after all I said I was going to give you an examination. I plan to do so now.” Belle spoke loudly, trying to clear her head from any lingering distractions-seeing him peering at her and giving her a soft toothy grin didn't help.

'We're never going to get this done at this rate-keep focused Belle!' Without any more delay Belle stood her ground, focusing on her original task as she approached her patient. Minding her touches the security guard reached forward and unlatched the animatronic's panel, and it appeared to have tracks on the inside of his body when she was trying to figure out how to adjust it.

“You should be able to push it all the way down and lock it-no worries it won’t spring back up.” Rumplestiltskin informed her with a flippant hand pointing a finger upwards, and sure enough the panel snapped down and relocked to ease her inspection. He was quick to stop her before she could even reach a finger through the open panel though. “Before you get any further I should tell you I’ve no clue what it looks like back there. I can’t tell you what’s what you know-like by color or specific style of parts since I can only tou-ou-ch, and you already know how stu-un-nted that sense is.”

“How on earth are we going to figure out what’s what with all of this? You're more complicated looking than I imagined...” Belle quirked a brow as she glanced at the mass of nonsense that made him up through the simple square hole through his back. There was a ridiculous amount of wiring exposed, too many cords of different kinds and colors that she didn’t know there could be that many different ports or necessary plugins! Overall he was beyond the other animatronics that she'd seen August fixing along with the machinery she studied with the repairmen at the cannery... His mystery deepened-it did make a lick of sense how he was far more advanced given he'd been built around twenty eight years ago.

The mechanical whirr of his innards was louder after she opened him, but not loud enough she had to change the volume of her voice. “I don’t know where to start… I mean we could take them out but I'm afraid to pull something vital like you said.”

He gave a crackled hum, the movement of his body jostling his parts slightly. “You’re going to have to just yank on them, but gently mind you. Like my body I can 'sense' the sensations from the electronic charge at the intersect-sect-ing parts when you interact with them.”

As easy as it sounded it didn't make her any less nervous to try this tactic. Calling upon her mantra and bravery Belle pushed her bare hand in through the slot and began her task. Grabbing at the first wire within her reach she picked a blue coated one that disappeared towards the left portion of his shoulders from what she liked to imagine was the major port that connected to the other parts of his body.

“Ah-T-That’s-That’s to my left arm-I can feel it spark all the way to my fingers.” Rumplestiltskin stammered out. Pursing her lips in thought Belle figured the red one of same size and look on the other side must be the one to his right, and with a tug it was confirmed by the mechanical man. A few more random tugs on other wires revealed several other parts-some to certain servos, limbs, and others to his main system. Yet... There was one the imp himself was not sure on as he didn’t ‘feel’ anything when she attempted to twist it. Then again this one was not like his others-it was a wide, ridged black cord with clamp like locks connected right at the base of his nape-having an eerie resemblance to a spinal cord in her opinion. They skipped it to continue on, and with the aid of some ties she was able to label some of his parts and panels to keep them out of her way the further she explored him.

After a few minutes of this she could already see Rumplestiltskin getting restless with how he squirmed. “You don't have to go through every single part of me... I might not even be something you will be able to fix exter-ter-nally, though I managed to stop my fit that one night I'm not sure where my vocal wiring is located _a-a-a-a-a-a-aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa_ -"

Belle flinched back when his voice suddenly began to hold a rather painful sounding note after she had tugged lightly on a curled cord above a portion of his shoulder hydraulics. She thrusted her hand back in to fix him and managed to feel the port this one was located at, but when she felt it was still plugged in she knew there had to be something wrong with the cord itself.

That exact problem alerted her instantly when a sharp sensation shot up her arm painfully, forcing her to yank her hand back out.

‘Yeah, it's damaged worse than we thought-I'm lucky I didn't get severely electrocuted there.' Belle realized internally as she stuck her prickled fingers in her mouth a moment to help the lingering pain fade.

Yet, her noble intentions had done little to help as Rumplestiltskin continued to emit the low hum-it didn't pause for a second as he remained stock still on his stool. _“Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa-"_ The awful sound had the security guard beyond worried, and she quickly rummaged about the tool chest near her for any useful tools to help prevent her from getting shocked again.

“Oh-Rumple what do I do?” More than ever she wished to hear his strange impish voice teasing her-even if he was just joking she'd be fine with it, but the reply was the same. No other response came from him besides the endless hum-except oh god-his body was starting to slump over! The beauty nearly dropped a wrench when she noticed before darting around him and using her might to push him back into place. Glancing at his face she found the orb like eyes she thought so pretty had swiveled up to the top of his sockets, their glow rather dim behind his lax eyelids.

“No! Rumple! I’m sorry-oh god-I didn't mean to do this to you!” Belle cried out in fear-this was going all wrong-not even an ounce of her pride meant anything if something bad were to befall him now! It was hard to keep him upright as she moved around him to put on some thick rubber gloves and grab her trusty flashlight. Using one elbow to make sure he was steady she hefted it up it up while the free hand slipped in through the panel. The light aided in her getting a glimpse of the part of the cord that was thread bare near where it was plugged into his main panel while the other end disappeared up towards his neck to a separate box of sorts (his... Voice box?). Carefully-not wanting another good zap, her fingers wrapped around the end of it and taking a risk-pulled it out from the direct connection to him.

“ _Aaaaaaaaaaaaa-..._ ” The haunting humming came to a stop, but the spark she saw shoot out from his neck had Rumplestiltskin's entire body jerk and slip off the stool. There was no immediate ring of his body hitting the hard ground, but the young woman couldn't believe how heavy he actually was as she strained her free arm that had wrapped around his torso. Belle didn't have to hold on for too long, as soon she felt him return when his own hands returned to life and fumbled for the stool beneath him. Giving a heavy sigh of relief Belle pressed her hot face into his cold back when he sat back down, further comforted by the large clawed hand patting her arm.

Things were okay now, her poor rocketing heart was aching in relief... Yet, Rumple's fingers were flickering against her wrist like how he kneaded them when he was nervous...

Wait... Why wasn't he saying anything? Surely he'd be sassing her or freaking out after what happened-

“Rumple, are you okay?” Belle worriedly asked in fear he might have slipped back into the glitch without her notice. When she pulled away from him and stood back up the scaly imp had turned towards her with a frightened expression on his face. His grey lips twitched sporadically, and her horror returned when his mouth opened and not a single word-sound-noise came out. After a stunned moment of silence from them both he attempted again, but she heard nothing-she did see that he had tried to say ‘yes’ and then 'no', which hadn't been an easy thing to read due to his hinged jaw.

Her own voice was practically gone when she spoke. "Your voice is-I took out your voice... I didn't mean for it to happen. There was a damaged cord I touched that caused you to malfunction, and so I removed, b-but..."  

The mechanical man attempted another ‘yes’ while he nodded, but all she heard was the creaking of his plated neck and no crackle of his lit.

Regret washed over her while her blue eyes dropped from his to the floor in shame. This was all her fault-not entirely she knew since in due time the cord would've faltered, but she had given it a helping hand hadn't she? Then again how awful would that have been if she had not been around when it would've? If she hadn't ended up the night guard here he might have lost his voice and been stuck utterly isolated with no way to communicate if he truly were to come to harm or lose other functions.

Part of her knew then that there was more of a reason why she'd ended up in Avonlea than her past and the extra money she and her father needed.

'Right... I can blame myself for this, but what matters more is being able to fix my mistake. I've come so far to just give up at the first obstacle would be shameful-and to leave him like this more so.' Her tiny stature shifted at the ideas rushing through her head, and the sorrow she wore gave way to her brows furrowing in determination. She was here-and she wasn't ill equipped either-after working hard the last month and a half along with all the studying she'd done this week now was time to prove she could help him.

"I think I can fix this. It shouldn't be too difficult to cut out the damage, replace the part, and set you to rights."

‘What!’ Rumplestiltskin surely must have mouthed thanks to her bold proclamation from the way his whole mouth flung open. His frantic wild eyes peered up at her, the fear they held displayed for her to see.

“Do you trust me?” Belle held his gaze intensely, willing him to see the confidence she wanted him to believe in.

In the only way he could communicate his eyes set in their black pits flickered forward, to the side, anywhere and everywhere except for on the security guard. Getting him to comply wasn't going to be as simple as just telling him to believe in her-he needed to be reassured Belle realized. Setting her gloved hands on his plated shoulders she managed to get him to look at her-a first good step, as she gave him a gentle smile.

“It'll be simple, and you know I’ve been doing lots of reading. I’m sure I can patch it up, but I won’t doing anything unless you let me-I promise.”

From the way he remained frozen-blank and robotic looking from the effect, she was sure that he wasn't going to allow her. Neither of them had agreed to this deal with the actual thought of repair, but then neither of them had prepared for anything to go wrong either. While his reaction hurt her a bit she couldn't blame him if he did refused her, though her hands gripped him just a bit tighter at that thought. In the end she wasn’t any repairman by any actual means, just a novice who’d read some books and had the simple basics of handling any ordinary technology-that was asking for a lot from him to believe in...

‘Maybe he's right, I don't need to rush into this... What if in trying to help him I messed up and permanently removed his voice?’ Belle felt the doubt start to swarm in again with that possibility looming over them both. ‘Or worse what if I cause him to do some horrendous failure by improperly replacing the cord and I… Kill him...'

No-she didn't want to do that to him-how would she ever be able to live know she'd.... She'd-

“Never mind, we’ll just get it plugged back in for now and pray your voice pops back in. If not I don't doubt we'll figure something out-you could write to communicate in the mean time... As terrible as that sounds-I'm sorry-” She stumbled over her words-an utter fool to her own ears, but when she tried to turn to the tool chest an icy hand snaked out and caught her wrist. Glancing at Rumplestiltskin's hold on her she couldn't help but take in for a moment their vast differences-how small her own hands were to his or how dark his molted hull was against her ivory flesh... But she'd come to adore his strange hue while the sight of his claws had become more comforting than frightening.

‘Okay.’ The animatronic mouthed-er, maybe not, she barely caught what he tried to tell her.

“Really you're okay with this-are you sure? Positive?” Stubborn as she was being she wanted his one hundred percent consent before she did something that might end up going horribly-ah! That was no way to think about something as important as this!

Rumplestiltskin rolled his eyes, and then flourished a hand, giving firm point with his index finger with small little jabs. 'Yes.' ‘Sure.’ He told her without an audible word, and this time it was undeniable that he had come to agree. Still, she had to marvel at how he was willing to believe in her still after everything that had happened tonight. When he had every right to deny and turn her away, knowing things might go wrong, he was giving her another chance-a really big one.

'So this is what it's like when someone puts their faith in you...'

“I'll do my best to help you, but don’t come crying to me if I accidentally take out your voice for good after this.” Belle realized her mistake too late as he blinked at her in stunned surprise. As horrible as the situation was seaming right now the beauty had to put a hand to her mouth to fight the sad laugh building in her throat at the creases on the animatronics face increasing with his unamused frown. “That was a bad joke at this point in time, I know-sorry.”

The imp turned back in his seat, ready to be subjected to whatever fate was going to befall him-a fate that was in her hands. Belle tugged at her gloves and took a deep breath before picking up the equipment she needed to start this repair. Not allowing the fear she felt to make her hand reaching into the open panel shake she pulled the other end of the damaged cord out slowly and then removed it entirely. So far so good-she had to muse to herself... At the work table she placed down the part and retrieved an electrical end cap from her pile of random supplies as she heard Rumplestiltskin move about in his seat to watch. It took a bit of patience and steadiness, but she snipped out the damaged part of the cord and began to work on joining the two separate pieces back together.

Time passed by in a slow agonizing pace for the duo awaiting what the result would be. As the minutes faded away she almost had to yell at Rumplestiltskin for whirling about his stool like a jittery child and distracting her. A little while later Belle was wiping away another bead of sweat forming on her face before she set aside her pliers and held the newly intertwined cord in both hands to make sure she'd done her best. 

“Now,I need some electrical tape to secure the patch…” The roll of tape gave a groan when she stretched it out, but with a few pieces the cord was secured. Smoothing out the final touch Belle moved to face the mechanical man quietly kneading his segmented fingers together. “All done. Now we need to plug it back in and see if we were successful.”

Rumplestiltskin peered at the cord with that same nervous expression as earlier-like it was a snake waiting to bite him if it got too close, but he nodded for her to go on. With his hands resting on his leather bound knees he sat there, behaving well for his ‘nurse’ to approach.

Belle reached back inside him with both her hands-having luckily remembered the points the cord went to which made the whole affair much easier this time for the security guard. The perfectly fine end went back in first up towards the vocal unit near his neck, and relief flooded her when nothing-no spark or glitch, happened. But then there was the other newly repaired half towards the lower part and the main ports to plug in, and it took a lot more confidence to get her hand not to shake this go around.

“Okay… Here we go. I’m sure this is the right one it connects with.” She murmured right before she stuck the the end back in place.

“-’d hope you’d remember which one it was, dearie! That's-Ah! Well! Well! Well!” The machine chirped loudly into the stuffy air as his lovely odd voice popped back into existence. Pure joy shot through heart at the sound of him-so much so she almost missed him singing his praises as she let him go so he could jump up from the stool. “You did it my Noble Knight! You are beyond incredible I dare say-I should never have doubted you!”

“I did it! I really did!” Belle gasped happily, beaming a wide smile up at the impish man beaming right back at her. “I'm sure you could tell, but I was so nervous I was just going to make things worse-I was so afraid of hurting you or worse-but I didn't and now you're properly fixed This is wonderful!” Her open admittance took off all the weight burdening her shoulders in an instant while the pride from her endeavors sunk in. Everything she’d been working hard at had finally paid off. Despite doubts, fears, and both of them being nervous of the outcome they had succeeded, and even better she had helped her friend… Had truly helped him.

“It’s a good thing you didn’t say that to me ahead of time!” Rumplestiltskin crossed his arms as he scowled at her, but she paid him no mind-too busy basking in her happiness.

Belle clapped her hands together before peeling off her rubber gloves, tossing them haphazardly on the work table. “Well! Test it out! Go on!”

“Go on what?”

“What else Rumple? Laugh! Go on and try it! We’ll know for sure if it went well if you can laugh properly again.”

The imp’s face went neutral a moment, his lips pursing as if he was concentrating hard on everything she said. Moments went by and not one sound came from within him-just his face scrunched up in a ridiculous manner. Belle leaned in closer to him for the third time that night, worried that maybe somehow he couldn’t even laugh anymore, or manage such a sound if a part of his wire had been improperly reconnected. No way... She couldn’t have possibly failed him-that didn't make any sense if he could speak!

“Heheheheahahahaa!” A round of giggling erupted right near her face, and spooked her for a good moment-his full intention she was sure. Yet, there was no mistaking that the high pitched silly sound didn't glitch a single time as it boomed from within his throat.

“Hehehehe Yes!” Belle began to laugh after jumping up and down in response, feeling like a child herself for the first time in a while. The animatronic deepened his voice then to produce another laugh, a more human sounding one that had her covering her mouth to try and contain her own chortles of giddy glee. “Okay-Y-you-hehehehe! You can stop laughing now-we get the point-” Belle ended up giving an ungraceful snort which only sent the machine into another fit of real impish giggling.

"You’re the one-heheheehee! Making me laugh-my-hehehee-silly-silly knight!" Rumplestiltskin stopped chuckling a second later, his eye lids popped wide open as he stood up ramrod straight. “I don't think it's just my laugh that got fixed-my voice doesn’t even glitch when I speak either! I... I haven’t had it working properly like this for the last four years-I never used it much till I met you-but... It looks like you're not so lucky now since I have reason to.”

“That's no problem-I would gladly listen to your voice all day.” Belle replied shortly after managing to gain control her own fit of laughter. Every part of her body stilled when she realized far too late that her thoughts had escaped her with the aid from her traitorous tongue. Wide blue eyes flickered straight to the floor in humiliation, but the bravery ebbing in her heart pushed her to react otherwise. ‘No-that didn't come out right… But, when I said it I meant it, and If I meant it, then I should say it.’ The beauty's weary and worry filled eyes drifted up to the machine who was obviously floored from how agape his dagger filled maw hung open.

When a few fleeting seconds of awkwardness passed his eyes lidded, creating a sense of peace about him alongside the soft smile on his face.  When he look like that, it was hard to believe he wasn't a human being underneath his exterior.

“You truly are a unique human, Belle...” Her animatronic companion murmured in a soft little buzz.

The young woman wasn’t sure what was happening just then-this unfamiliar, alarming, and yet welcome shift in the atmosphere around them. Something stirred in her at the way her name ebbed from him like a caress, urging her to reach out and.. And... simply touch him. The warmth she knew resided in his ticking parts called out to her then, and she found she desired nothing more than to feel it to soak into her skin... She wanted to just hold him and have him smile like that at her forever.

'Rumple...'

“Thank you-you're far too kind to something like me.” Rumplestiltskin's impish voice brought her out of whatever enchantment had overcome her as he grabbed his abandoned shirt draped over the tool chest. With that the complicated moment fell right out of her reach as he did, and it was then she noticed her hand had been hanging in the air as if to really grasp him.

“Y-You’re welcome.” Belle hesitated as she drew her hand back to place it over her heart, wondering what on earth was overpowering her just then. As she watched him from behind she mulled over it some more. It was clear she had come to care for him greatly, but perhaps she was growing far more attached to him than she thought? But exactly what kind of attachment was this forming between them-or was she alone in this? Maybe she was just too worked up right now and was thinking there was something else there-yeah, she nodded to herself despite the small part of her that didn't think that was right.

The somewhat frightening thoughts were put aside when she remembered that she had something left to do while watching her companion try to get dressed.

Her gift she'd gotten him-this was the perfect time to give him it!

“Wait! Rumple, as strange as this sounds don’t put that shirt back on just yet!” Belle blurted out, and her rather bizarre sounding request halted him in his attempt to clothe himself with one arm back in a sleeve of his silk shirt.

The mechanical man looked at her perplexed before he waggled both sets of segmented eyebrows on their tracks, causing the rosy hue of the security guard's cheeks to worsen at their almost flirtatious connotation. “My-I'm starting to wonder if you like to see an exposed machine, dearie? I'm not much to enjoy however.”

‘Oh, so he thinks he’s being so clever trying to throw me off or get a reaction out of me.’ None the less it was working despite Belle's desperate refusal to allow it, but that wasn't going to stand for long. 'If he wants a reaction then so do I!'

“You don't hear me complaining do you?” The beauty asked, tapping her chin playfully, and it was well worth it to watch his hinged jaw drop open as he stared with those pinpoint pupils crippled by shock.“I shouldn't be gone but a minute, so don’t put your shirt on. Got it?” She didn't even wait for his response-if he could even form one right now which was a no from the looks of it, as she turned with a smirk dapping her pretty face and darted out of the room. 

Dashing down the dark hall without her flash light wasn't a problem for her thanks to how long she’d been roaming this building at this point. Through the bend in the corridor she flew-before she knew it she'd probably be able to do a whole run of the building without bumping into anything. The door to her office appeared shortly, and when she stepped inside she approached the desk, finding the package still hidden inside the drawer. After snatching it up she ran all the way back to the maintenance room to find Rumplestiltskin planted right where she left him as he was holding his shirt over his arm. Being half dressed was obviously still something he didn't prefer from the perched metal eyebrow she got in her return-but it drooped when he watched her stride towards him with the box in tow.

“What… Is that?” The machine pointed at the box with an arched finger, his own curiosity becoming blatant in his stare.

“It's a gift for you-go on and open it.” Belle hoisted it out to him-eager to see him peel away the paper and find what lay inside.

“N-no, you didn't have to get me anything.” Those large hands rose up in front of him as if to ward off the box instead of reaching out and taking it like she had hoped he would.

Belle's lips fell into a hurt frown as her sky blue eyes pleaded with him to take it. “But it's too late-I already got it for you. With fixing you up I thought now was the perfect time for it.”

“I… I can’t… I don't...” Rumplestiltskin's voice grew hushed, him drawing his hands near chest while his fingers appeared to knead against some invisible object between their tips. “It’s just I-I have nothing to give you... You're the one who deserves something after all you've done for me...” Distress encompassed the twitches of his artificial face while shame hung heavy in his nearly closed eyes. The security guard couldn't help but wonder if such emotions-so human like in every way, somehow caused him to experience pain like any normal person.

"Now, you don’t have to give me anything back, it's not like I did this because I wanted something in return. Well, I guess what I did want was just to do something nice for you, and since you don’t get paid for helping guard Avonlea think of it like your own little bonus." Belle gave him a wide grin, hoping to ease his discomfort with their fun banter they always shared. After all he'd been 'working' at Avonlea for so long while going unnoticed for all his help cleaning up the palce-he did deserve something for that alone.

“A bonus you say? That does sound nice since I don't get any benefits...” He joked, humoring her attempt to ease the situation between them. She was glad he wasn't withdrawing behind his masks and walls-really she wanted nothing from him in terms of earthly objects nor anything that he wasn’t wanting to give. All of this was being done just to make him happy, and really to make him feel more… Accepted and cared for-that there was a place for him in this world. Part of her, to shy after everything tonight, wanted him to know there was a place at her side too... “If the tiny knight went out of her way to get it for me how could I refuse.” The imp gave his strange sigh, and Belle held her offered gift back up to him-pleasantly pleased with his acceptance.

Rumplestiltskin took the box from her with great care, seeming afraid he’d destroy it just by having it in his grasp. She stood back and watched as he pulled it apart, paper shredding and tape being pried open-falling to the floor, and stared down at the fine fabric that lay folded neatly inside. He hadn't caught on when she asked him not to dress, but her gift for him was a black styled shirt much like his current one-she even had the designers cut slits in the shoulders so he could wear it easily. The garment was a pretty thing to look at, in direct light the purple scale like patterns with a hint of gold flecks shimmered against the black, creating a befitting look for her golden-green companion.

“I’m sure I got the right size, but because I never measured you properly I can take it to a tailor if it needs hemmed further. Sewing-as much as I've tried, is one thing I simply can’t do.” Belle explained with a small laugh as he removed the shirt and set the box aside on the tool chest. His quiet reaction worried her a bit-maybe the overall style was too much for his taste, and the poor human was soon trying to explain her choice. “From overtime pay and the party I had some extra money to spend so I was searching online for some shirts that I thought would go well with your coat since you only have one set-I had to custom order it and explain over the phone why I wanted the shoulders removed-”

“Belle…”

“And I know that it’s kind of purple so it's going to clash with the orange vest, but I’m sure I can find somewhere that specializes in that medieval clothing to get you another vest too. But if you don't like the shirt or the look I can see about ordering something different-”

“Belle!” Rumplestiltskin called to her a little louder, managing to stop her from rambling on like she ha been. Her cheeks flushed for the one hundredth time that night as she realized he had finished buttoning up the new shirt now adorning his slim frame. Belle's gaze trailed up and down the animatronic, taking in how the shirt glinted alongside his sparkling complexion in a strange but beautiful way. Overall it was little large at the waist, but he had tucked it into his tight pants like how he normally wore his other, and she was a bit... Flustered on how well it worked on him.

“Do you like it?” The young woman managed to ask, wanting to know his true opinion.

“I don't like it-I love it.” The not at all vile sorcerer hummed happily to her before lifting up one flittering hand and allowing the puffy sleeves to sparkle the sheen of gold and purple from the movement. Seeming to be enchanted himself he ran his glowing gaze over his improved state of wear before looking back at her a bit solemn. “I’ve... Never gotten a gift before-not anything someone wanted _me_ to have. I don’t… I-I don’t know what to do, Belle-how to thank you.”

To think this was his first gift from anyone-a gift given to him with the full intention of him to take and enjoy. Part of her thrumming heart hurt again, unable to believe how this man in a machine had been neglected all these years that he didn't know how to respond to someone offering him clothing.

“What do you think you should do?” Belle asked, putting her hands behind her back as he went about grabbing his vest and slipping back into it. Rumplestiltskin finished buttoning that too-maybe she should learn to sew so she could help fix that missing button, and stood there giving her a contemplative look. In his eyes was a mixture of things she couldn't quite uncover, and had no time to as he was suddenly giving her a low bow-arms spread out at his sides though there was no ounce of mockery in his stance.

“I suppose, I should give you another round of my gratitude, though I feel even that is still not enough to give you in return. So, in the mean time I'd like to off you a small means of repayment by continuing to read Faust for us both so that my noble knight might get to take a break for a bit. However-this doesn't mean any snoozing will be accepted this time around-you still have a job to to do than sleep all night.” He snickered when he returned to full height, amusement curling up the sides of his mouth in a mischievous grin. 

“Hey-You were the one who let me fall asleep in the first place.” Belle accused him right back by poking him in the chest, not wanting to remember having passed out so easily on the job. Yet, at the moment he was looking the happiest she'd ever seen him and she decided she'd let his prodding slide for the time being-as he'd done for her on that night instead of dumping a cup of cold water over her like he claimed he would.

“Why I did nothing of the sort." The imp snorted in jest, twirling about to find his coat which he draped back over his frame-once more the trickster who waltzed through the halls of Avonlea. In the dim light of the room he was mesmerizing in his own way-somehow all at once he was an out of this world being and yet whole and very real before her eyes.

She was rewarded when he hid his head and emitted one of his trademark giggles, a whole sound echoing through the room that didn't break or glitch. In fact-a wonderful idea hit her then-after all he'd offered to read to her and what better way to test his voice than have him do that? Without warning Belle grabbed at his hands, pulling him once more to the door of the room, as she shook her head to hide her own smile plastered on her face. Once again Rumplestiltskin followed after her, and his face displayed only comfortable interest and intrigue as he trusted himself once more to her. They'd come far together in only one night and it was with that Belle came to an understanding through the dark hall that she didn't need him to repay her at all-his happiness, friendship, and faith in her was more than enough...

Though she couldn't complain if he felt the need to read to her-that was another perk too.

—————

A few hours later night was starting to wane as morning rose over the horizon that lay above the family fun center. The two hadn't noticed at all, too preoccupied sitting next to each other on Belle's wee little couch in her office like they had been a while now. In fact, both of their legs were practically touching from how close they sat unlike the vast distance they usually kept between them. Belle had noticed this right away during the time that passed and was curious if Rumplestiltskin had come to notice too, but if he had he hadn't said anything about it.

He'd been kind to her-another repayment he claimed, and had taken care of cleaning up their small mess in the maintenance room to let her retire in the security office. Shortly after that he had joined her and read to her from where they had left off their exploration of Faust. As he delved into the tale, while she helped him with some words foreign to him, his voice didn't suffer a single stutter or glitch like she was use to hearing. Together the human and animatronic made their way through a good chunk of the story while stopping here and there to discuss the plot before he offered a break to walk around Avonlea. Stretching her legs and his servos sounded pretty good to her and her sleep addled mind (she couldn't help his voice soothed her and nearly made her drift off a few times).

Walking through the empty interior around them, past the party rooms and arcade, they silently enjoyed each other's company. Well, except when they neared the grand stage of the entertainment room she heard a familar melody ghost across her ears. Unsure for a moment she flickered her flash light at the heavy red curtains, but all the animatronic's behind were deactivated at this time-unless it was-oh... A quick glance at the mechanical man strolling alongside her confirmed it was him, humming his odd little tune and not seeming to be aware of it. For a few seconds longer she listened to him, taking in how his tune was a bit happier tonight while he stared on ahead in relative peace.

“Hey Rumple?” Belle asked when they neared the dinning area, and her voice seemed to bring him back to her side as he pivoted his head in her direction. Belle smiled back up at him-after the many weeks and experiences they had shared she was feeling more confident about asking him more about himself, and this unfamiliar song seemed important to him too... Brushing her hands through the soft curls spilled over her shoulders she looked back at the alien amber eyes wordless questioning her. “What is that you always hum? I don't recognize the melody anywhere and was curious.”

“What I hum? What are you...” The sorcerer echoed back after deciding to stop in his tracks randomly, throwing Belle off as her boot clad feet faltered mid step. “I was humming out loud again wasn’t I?”

“You sure were.” The security guard had to chuckle at the resignation residing in his high pitched tone.

He tapped one foot as a clawed hand hovered in the air, stoked with energy from how it flew around. “My apologies if it bothered you. Sometimes my mind thinks it's staying inside and then spills out without my notice. No matter-as for the song itself I don’t have a clue as to what it’s called either.”

“You sing it and you don’t know what it is? Isn’t that a bit of a conundrum?” Belle raised a brow while the two of them stopped in place from their discussion.

“I hum it-I don’t  _sing_. Yuck, that’s what they’re meant to do.” Rumplestiltskin pointed with his thumb towards the stage, looking greatly offend at the whole concept of him ever possibly singing anything at all. It just led her to believe he must've done so over twenty five years ago, and what a sight that would have been to hear and see. “I know the tune, dearie, but I don’t know any words that are supposed to go with it… At least I don’t remember them. I feel as if there words they would've started with a ‘For’ or something-or maybe not…”

Wait-there was something he didn't remember? After all his boasting for his keen mind and memory, even he was vulnerable to such a human trait.

“And here I thought you remembered everything.” The taunt was all in fun, but he visibly reacted to the smug expression filling the contours of her face.

“Ah-Ah-Ah! I remember everything from the day I was ‘born' which was the day I was first activated here. However, I don’t remember anything before my time as a machine used here at Avonlea-the melody has just been always been there in the back of my mind.” Pointing a clawed finger at her to further push his point Belle simply pushed it to the side to peer up at him.

“So you do know you were active at one point before you came to Avonlea, but you don’t remember it. I take it that means you never met the person who sold you or created you-or you at least don’t remember them.”

Belle stood back with her hands on her hips and watched the animatronic man clasp his plated hands together at chest level, his tic apparent. “No, I haven't-this me never met him. The only people I was greeted to my first day was a few of the staff but mostly Mr. Getto, no one else ever claiming to have created me or my sellers ‘name’ ever approached.”

Belle's blue eyes shifted to the faraway celling in thought, more perplexed than ever by the being at her side. Did this mean he had been abandoned? But then again he'd been sold as equipment essentially-there would be no need to come back or care for what was supposed to just be an 'animatronic'. Then again-did his creator develop him like this or was there just some unexplainable reason this creature made of metal and parts was alive and bearing the resemblance to a soul?

“That's strange... But how do you know it’s a him? The person who made you could have been a she after all.” Belle inquired with a tilt of her head.

“Forgive me-she or he, _whomever they may be! Left me trapped and never free!”_  He spoke down to her in a rhythm to a new tune unlike his humming before he abruptly began walking again. Belle, a bit startled, fell behind in his sudden movement and then hurried her pace to catch up to him as he went on. “After all this time I'm not sure I’d like to meet who or whom it was that did make me. They'd get some cross words to begin with for what they've caused... But, they probably hadn't expected me to turn out all wrong… l-like this.” Rumplestiltskin gestured down himself with a swoop of his hand, bearing a toothy frown to the checkered floor.

“Don't say that, there's nothing wrong with you or how you are and turned out to be.” Belle replied in a huff-there was that self loathing he bared so often, something too relatable that sparked her need to disprove him. Someday, she promised to herself then and there, he'd see what she saw, through her eyes, at the sweet sensitive and uniquely beautiful person she was growing very fond of. “If I could've met you as a kid I would've showed them all how wrong they were-Mr. Marco and everyone. Still, it's hard for me to believe I spent an entire summer here hiding away and during all that time I didn’t even notice you were there. Things might have ended up really different then...”

What would her future had been like if she had met Rumplestiltskin as a child? Surely, it couldn't be that drastic of a change, but then again he would've been a little less lonely all that time. 'Somethings are just not meant to be I guess.' The young woman sighed with a deep breath, her footsteps echoing through the end of dinning area, but it was then she caught on that there were only one set of footsteps... 

Belle blinked in confusion before turning on her heel to find the animatronic was several paces behind, planted in place. He got distracted often, but it was hard to think that was the case this time with how his eyes were boring into her unlike anything she'd seen before. Those eyes... Their glow dappling his silicone flesh a hue of yellow, were looking more familiar and similar to her than she understood.

They stared at each other for a few seconds in the soft silence, before Belle spoke up out of worry. “Hey-you okay?”

“Y-y-eah. I’m okay-just thinking too much.” His reply was rather short as his hands twitched at his sides, almost looking like they were asking to be held... “Would you like to go back and finish reading Faust now?”

Walking back towards him Belle wondered as to why they weren’t finishing their run of the floor-there was still the kitchen and the other half of the back hall. However, he was looking eager to head back-maybe he wanted to know how it ended or perhaps he was getting lost in thoughts of his past. Whatever the reason she agreed with a nod of her head, earning the return of his lopsided smile. With the time left they had together they would finish reading this tale before her shift was over and tomorrow they'd start another one-much to his dislike it would be a 'dreaded romance' but she was sure he'd enjoy that too despite his grumbling.

Side by side the security guard and the animatronic man began their walk back with the aid of her flashlight to her office. A comfortable quiet nestled between them-there was almost a sense of belonging in that moment that looked to be effecting him as much as her. It was then a note welled up in the back of her throat, longing to be set free, and with no hesitation she began to hum out what she recollected of Rumplestiltskin's nameless song.

_“Hhmmm-hmmm-HhHhHhh-hmmmmm-hm-hmmmm-hmmm.”_

Part of Belle felt silly, and she prepared herself for the impish giggling to erupt from him. Instead of Rumplestiltskin making fun of her or any reaction she expected him to have he chose to hum along with her-his unique lit a soft brush against her senses. Through the rooms and halls their voices blended into harmony, ringing loud for only them and the building to hear. No doubt it would've been an atypical-out the ordinary sight for anyone else to happen upon the small human and the only slightly taller machine, but for them it felt nothing more than natural...

Beyond the family fun center's walls the sun slowly creeped over the trees, casting a warm glow down to the earth within reach of its rays. Shadows were beginning to peel back, and few bits of light slipped into the establishment through the slats covering the windows... 

But it was in the inky darkness of Avonlea that true warmth lied amongst the happy humming of two rather peculiar people.


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After suffering a horrible nightmare that leaves Belle fearful the rest of the day she must face the terrible thoughts of years long ago and the multitude of emotions she's harboring for her mechanical companion. Perhaps it's possible to fear and care for someone at the same time, but that fine line breaks into pieces upon a horrible turn of events...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter revision in progress.

It was warm, cozy, and snug where she currently was... In a place she'd once known but had been lost from her grasp.

In lazy flickers the sun light drifted in through the opened curtains, dappling the living room that once was in a yellow glow. From where she was seated she could already smell the scent of the cookies baking in the oven not far off-hints of peanut butter and chocolate chips teasing her nose relentlessly. But, the delicious aroma couldn't pull her away from how comfortable she was wrapped up in her favorite blanket and her mother's embrace. Those gentle arms propped by her sides eased all her troubles away, drawing her into a world of only blissful love, and endless joy... Truly, this was what absolute peace felt like-there was no where else Belle would rather be than home with her all her loved ones...

All of them under one roof...

All of them...

Wait... Wasn't someone missing though? From this picture? Surely there couldn't be-Mom was here, dad was outside tending the lawn-just like normal... Yet...

For a split second it felt like she was recalling something very important, but the contentment Belle felt along with an echo of a voice that called out to her pulled her from her inner thoughts.

_'What is REAL?’ asked the Rabbit one day, when they were lying side by side near the nursery fender, before Nana came to tidy the room. ‘Does it mean having things that buzz inside you and a stick-out handle?’_

Colette French's voice rung through the room like gentle church bells or a cool spring day with birds chittering happily in the breeze. Out of her parents her mom was the best one to be read to. When the story called for it she would change her voice to fit the character's personalities, making Belle burst into tears at horribly sad parts or making her laugh till she was sick when her mother sounded silly enough that her father had to laugh. It was moments like those that were more than she could ever ask for-countless nights of her small family of three all tucked onto this couch and just listening to some story her mother delved into with such relish.

_’Real isn't how you are made,’ said the Skin Horse. ‘It's a thing that happens to you. When a child loves you for a long, long time, not just to play with, but REALLY loves you... Then you become **real**.’_

Today's story was splayed out between them since Belle liked to turn the pages and help hold the book's cover, but this wasn't just any other story... It was a special book to them both-a treasure that didn't look like one but meant more to her than anything else in the entire world. Through the emotion within the echo of her mother's voice she knew it meant even more to her. Knowing that made Belle attempt to read at her absolute best as she followed her mothers dainty fingers that danced along the words.

_‘Does it hurt?’ asked the Rabbit. ‘Sometimes,’ said the Skin Horse, for he was always truthful. ‘When you are Real you don't mind being hurt.’_

At that part Belle always quirked her nose, for their were many times she didn't understand certain things about this story. Mother often said she would when she was much older, but Belle's inquisitive nature always demanded to know those answers now.

“I don't get it-I don’t like to get hurt and I’m real… That just doesn't make sense.” Belle spoke out loud which interrupted her mother from continuing, creating a lull of silence to hang above them in the air flittering with dancing dust motes.

Hurting-any kind or all in general, was not enjoyable, and she definitely couldn't ever say she didn't mind it. It was never fun to get a scraped knee while out playing-or getting paper cuts from flipping through the page of a book too fast. When the boys at school called her rude things just because she was a girl, often saying that she couldn’t play with them too, it hurt worse than cuts or bruises... She didn’t like to put up with hurting in the least despite how it was apart of being 'real'. No, what she liked were moments like this where everything was just pleasant, perfect, and wonderful-a world like that was nothing more than what a child could dream for.

Inside she prayed for just that every night before she was tucked into bed... That there'd come a day where the three of them would be all happy again.

But wait-that couldn't be, after all...

Her mother di-

_No-no-no-she was here-she was still here-_

“Mom?”

Suddenly Belle realized she was sitting alone on the couch, waddled up in a faded blanket with the sun's warmth stolen by the closed curtains blocking out all former light. Her nose wrinkled further as she gawked about in confusion, and it took her a few seconds to understand what was wrong. An awful burning smell was wafting towards her down the hall from the kitchen, seeping beneath the closed door in thin trails of wispy black smoke. The lovely scent of desserts was beyond ruined, and she clamped a hand over her face in hopes to keep the wicked odor at bay.

The now rather confused and alarmed girl was just about to call out for her mother but stopped short when she heard the sound of crying coming from that very hall.

“Mom?” Belle didn't hesitate to crawl down from the couch, her small nightgown nearly drooping against the wood floor from her petite frame. Bravery had her feet inching her towards the kitchen, though it began to flee altogether as the darkening hallway seemed to stretch on, and on, and on... Without fair warning the faint crying beyond the kitchen door escalated into harsh shouting that rattled through the entire house. It was loud enough that the young girl almost covered her ears from the sound of her parent's voices clashing against one another in a terrible symphony of anger. While she couldn't make out what they were saying she knew they were fighting again, thinking she couldn't hear them but hear she did... Belle couldn't stand it when they fought like this, because it meant that her father would storm out of the house while her mother would try to cry out her pain alone in her room.

Wanting this to stop, to return the world to how it should be, Belle reached out her thin arm for the handle to the wooden door. Yet, as soon as her fingers touched the metal knob both the smoke wafting up from the threshold along with the terrible sounds stopped. The awful remnants of burning remained like a tortured ghost, but it was the pure silence that made her waver from its oppressive presence. Keeping her occupied arm wrapped about her special book of the plush rabbit the girl forced all her might into her fingers and opened the door. While it creaked and groaned as if a dying animal she could hardly pay it any attention, for her eyes grew wide at the change in her sight before her.

No longer was she standing in the once was space between the hallway and her kitchen back in Australia-in the home she lost years and years ago. In an instant time had passed for the eight year old girl once there in that spot was no more. Belle French now stood in her place at her proper five foot three, twenty five years old, and sporting her work uniform in the bleak hallway of Avonlea from the door way into the security guard's office.

“M… Mother?” The young woman warily called out into the darkness in a far more grown up voice. Though the child who had been there a second before had changed so much in the years that passed it was those same blue eyes continuing to whirl about in rising fear.

This was Avonlea-Fantasy Family Fun Center, owned by Mr. Marco Getto who she worked under as a security guard to an empty building in the dead of night (though empty-she was not sure that was entirely true-something was missing still). What she'd just seen, swore was real but was no longer, was nothing more than just... The past-a mixture of hopeful and wishful dreaming of things taken from her amidst the truth, that she knew with dawning clarity. Why then... Why did she feel as if her mother buried in the ground for seventeen years was somehow here in this building? Why would she come back, and to Avonlea of all places? More and more questions arose within Belle's turmoil filled mind as she gapped at the familar stone wall straight across from her. 

Why did mom and dad always fight-what did they fight about to bring them to those horrible days? What brought them to to loose mother? To be by choice abandoned and rejected-unwanted and undesirable?

Why...

Of course she remembered why when the child’s naivety was torn away, allowing all the answers to come crawling back from the depths of her mind. Belle's fingers tighten around the object in her grasp with each memory righting itself, yet those thoughts quickly changed when the cool feeling of metal in her hands made her realize she had lost something else too. Quickly she looked down to where the book her mother had given her was suppose to be only to find she was now clenching a familiar flickering flashlight...

That was right-that last memento was gone as well... Her most precious thing never to be seen again...

The harsh emptiness of the pitch black building began to crawl up her legs and seep into her skin then, leaving a hollowness amidst her trepidation that felt too much to bear. With a simple slap of the flashlight against her other hand the bulb jolted back to full power, creating a tiny spark of hope in this bleak lonely world. That hope roared to life just to freeze alongside the beat of her heart when the silent atmosphere shattered from a rising haunting sound.

_“Oh Belle… My little Blue-Bell…”_

“Mother?!” Belle's entire body stiffened upon hearing the faint voice she had come to miss since she was eight years old. Despite having no face or figure to put to that call it could be none other than her departed mother lingering somewhere through the corridors.

Without thinking it through the startled security guard-more confused than ever before, darted off into the twisting insides of Avonlea to chase after the bouncing echoes of her mother's lit up and down where they went. As she flew on her feet her frantic mind was aware enough to notice the layout was not right. The usual halls of her work place had grown bigger somehow-taller than she knew they actually were. With each push of her sturdy boots against the tiled floors the passing doors began to look like they were painted on while the dim lights in the ceiling above became fewer and thinner in-between. Sweat droplets beaded against her chest and head at how far and fast she was pushing herself the further she went, leaving icy little rivulets down her back to stain her white work shirt. 

All the while around her the abyss like shadows crept and slithered in time with her hurried pace. There was nothing there within them, and yet they were also not devoid... It was almost as if they were waiting to swallow her up if she were to falter-to fall-for a single second, and that only fueled her fear and desperation.

_“Why… Why did I lose him? Was I not good enough? I was never good enough...”_

There the faint cry was again-much closer this time than before.

“Mother please-tell me where you are! What are you doing here! Why did you come back after all this time!” Belle's pleas tore through the air just as she stumbled on her feet from an abrupt shift beneath her. Instead of falling over, her feet remaining firmly planted on the ground, she kept up right and ended up staring perplexed at all the hall that appeared to be fine... Wait... No, somehow the whole building had flipped upside down without her notice, or rather... She had. The ceiling light was illuminating from beneath her-not above! Sure enough the burning bulb was right between her legs while the checkered floor she stood on moments ago now hung above her head. Somehow her knees didn't give out on her when her blue eyes stared up-down at the proper floor turned ceiling in utter shock.

Yet, this unexplainable twist of reality didn't stop the beauty from seeing the shape of a figure move just within her peripheral vision. The shadow disappeared past a pair of wonky double doors at the final end of the upside down hallway, leading to who knows where in this incorrect mimicry of Avonlea. Twisting her head Belle could hear the crying continue beyond those walls. It made her entire insides chill at the very broken sounds she had heard as a child too.

_“I don’t want to see him anymore-please-please… I d-I don’t deserve this!”_

Regardless of up or down, here or there, visions of her lost home and this crazed version of the family fun center the night guard forced herself to run again towards those doors as if it was all she could do. At this point she was more than tired and distraught from how far she'd bolted through the distorted halls. Yet, the force she couldn't understand driving her pushed her forward relentlessly. Soon the distance between her and the double doors was so slim she managed enough energy to jump, drag herself up the top-now bottom of the archway, and pull herself through the slabs of hinged metal.

Everything was righted with her back on normal ground the next instant through the doors, causing her to fling her limbs about in a pitiful attempt to steady herself. It left her dizzy as she gasped for much needed air while the room seemed to spin about like a deranged carousel. Despite how the surrounding scene was a blurry mess in the haze of her vision there was one thing that stood out to Belle like a sore thumb. 

It wasn't accurate to the one she was used to passing, but there before her-cladded in the only light within the expansive space, was a grand stage. However, it was unlike Avonlea's as it had ornate black wood trimming carved with mock saddened and angry faces of typical theater masks-some mouths turned down in agony while others were snarling in horror and rage. The blood red curtains strung high from the ceiling were the same color, but they obscured the hanging scenes displayed behind them sinisterly, leaving the dense black beyond looming like an imposing figure.

Yet, none of this held Belle's attention for more than a mere second.

What had the tense beauty rooted to the spot in pure disbelief was not any what-but whom it was standing there center stage. The blue grey hospital gown cladding the figure was such a stark contrast to this nightmarish scape that there was no way they could've been missed in the otherwise vacant room.

Of course she couldn't deny just who that was. Even with years gone by-memories fading with the time slipping past, she'd never forget just how her mother looked in those final days she spent on the earth. Thin, sickly, and apparently malnourished when every day she'd been given an opportunity of a meal-thinning curls of similar auburn hair that barely concealed the aged face she knew she hid behind like abyss behind those curtains. There was those set of hands that once had held their books, given perfect hugs, and trimmed plants with such care currently drawn near the shadowed face, but now boney and sharp, long gone with their former gentleness...

To make matters worse, far worse than she could have imagined, she heard the sound of just what those fingers were doing.

Again...

And with the scrapping of nails upon flesh the young woman's surmounting terror became uncontainable.

 _“MOTHER!”_ Belle bellowed out, her voice a thunderous roar in the stillness of the endless space-willing to drown out the terrible noises. With a sharp turn the woman shifted her stance to look from the stage down at the spectator, but what greeted Belle was more depraved than any of the anguished stage faces trapped eternally in their misery.

It was hollow...

Where her mother's right eye should reside was nothing but a hollow space, crusted in reds and browns-coagulated human fluids. That blue eye just like her own-how many times had everyone in her youth mention that she had ‘her mothers eyes’, was sitting within in her mother's dirtied hand instead. So much blood and human matter was stained on the broken nails of her mother's fingers that had clawed away what had been there, leaving cords and nerves torn from their proper place to hang limp and useless from that gory socket.

The job was not completed however, and with a nauseating 'rip' Belle’s mother finished what she started just as she had once before. All the remaining tendrils were torn right out from the vacant space-no longer connected to the rest of the strands, arteries, and nerves. It was more than sickening to have to hear the noises of such mutilation fill her mind a second time, but those sounds were always there in the back of her head, haunting her for years on end.

 _“That's so much... Better. So much better.”_ The woman-it was too hard to believe it was the mother she loved so much, sighed in heavy relief when she was done. Then-as if to admire her work, she held the dejected eye up to inspect it with her sole usable one.

Belle's mouth hung open, unable to form words at the obscene things she was reliving, but when the smell emanating from the stage slammed into her a moment later she clamped both of her hands over her mouth. The harsh taste of vile rose up in the back of her throat in a hot heavy wave with her tongue longing to relieve such nastiness onto the checkerboard floor.

 _“Your brother is gone. I don’t see him anymore! It’s such a relief!”_ The woman chirped in glee while the remains of her carnage splattered onto the floor with the wild movement of her arms. _"I tried so hard to let go-but every day he came back-it was too much-but now it's all better! I'm all better!"_

Belle shook her head slowly and took a step back amongst the surrounding cemented chairs set before the stage-empty of any audience save her. How lucky.

“No… No mom… You need help, this is wrong…” The bare whisper slipped past her clammy hands still placed over her mouth.

 _“Everyone left me... Left me all alone. I didn’t know what else to do my Blue-Bell. You went and left me alone here too-you didn't visit me every day like you promised... Why didn't you? Why did you leave your own mother all by herself? You left her to rot and cry alone in the dark!”_ The woman who in voice and form appeared like Colette asked her all these things with spite as she began to step off the stage, taking the grand steps one blood spattered bare foot at a time.

“I-I was a child! I-I didn’t have a choice in any matter!” Belle instinctively yelled back before throwing up her own hands from the pain overwhelming her mind torn from rationality-her very reality torn apart in every sense. Here was her dead mother asking her things that she didn't fully understand either over a decade later-how could she cope with that? However, deep down the pain, the fear, and the guilt was welling up inside, making her lash back in response. “You were very-very sick at the time-you weren't safe for me to be around! That meant I couldn’t stay at the hospital with you no matter how much I wanted to-I couldn't come see you everyday either, and dad couldn’t stop working to support us all! It was all wrong-so very w-wrong-I know that now! But it wasn't my fault, I didn't understand-”

Then suddenly her voice cut off when she felt a weight press itself down on both sides of her shoulders.

Frozen in shock, the world not made of just her and her deceased mother, Belle felt terror spike down into her now trembling limbs. The hands settled on her shoulders clamped down, pinning her entire frame to floor as she managed to tilt her head back and look at the face looming over her own.

She was meet by a mechanical maw full of razor like rotten teeth set in a scaly golden-green face that peered right back with darkened alien eyes. In an instant all the missing pieces of her fragmented thoughts fell back into place with a single glance of the strange machine draped in leathers and silk holding her in place. Avonlea was not empty-not at all. This was its sole inhabitant beyond the business hours-the animatronic that lurked in its shadows-the one that had first frightened her, and then had apologized and welcomed her into his life... And whom she had come in time to call friend.

'How could I ever forget Rumplestiltskin... Was he the one I felt was missing before?'

Whether or not he was Rumple was here now-her mechanical but inherently sweet companion was here. Surely with him around things would be okay-maybe she was truly loosing her mind and soon would find comfort in his grasp while the hellish imagery faded away.

And yet... The fear she was feeling didn't disipate at all with the appearance of the being she had come to care about.

In fact, it only grew worse.

That was because the face looking down at her was split open wide by his unnatural hinged jaw, forcing her too peer into the deep abyss within-past the teeth and bits of wires to a pure darkness that should not be. It was in that darkness that they appeared before her-a set of pearly white teeth that were sharp, menacing, and crystal clear against the black. Even without lips they smiled at her in their own unnatural and frightening way as they curved upwards at the corners.

**“AH-AH-AH-DEARIE! DURING THAT WHOLE SITUATION YOU NEVER SAID ANYTHING ABOUT HOW YOU FELT. **WHEN YOU CHOOSE TO LEAVE HER IN THAT HOSPITAL ALL BY HERSELF**.”**

The voice that came from those teeth was like Rumplestiltskin's, but she also knew within her heart that it wasn't. While it had his high pitched ring with an electronic crackle it sounded too loud to be him, too quiet, too everywhere, too far away, too many, too chaotic, too malicious to be exactly his. This was all wrong her heart told her with each thrum of its panicked beating, but her limbs weren't working-couldn't propel her to escape his tightening clutch.

Instead of trying to get away words began to fumble forth from her mouth, desperate to explain-to make him see she wasn't-couldn't be at fault.

“I-I didn’t understand at the time what was really going on-no one told me anything-how could I haven known what I should have done? If I could go back and say what I should have do you think I wouldn't! I would-I would if I could-”

 **“YOU UNDERSTOOD WELL ENOUGH AS A CHILD! YOU SAW HOW SAD MOMMY WAS. YOU SAW HOW-”** The white pearly teeth clattered inside the darkness within Rumplestiltskin’s mouth upon each forcibly spat out syllable. **“-TWULY LONELY SHE HAD BECOME.”**

“I was… I-I was left just as alone too... How can you blame a child for all that had happened?" Belle's voice broke, her tone thinning and fragile like shattered glass while her body began to tremble beneath Rumplestiltskin's fearsome claws. "I had no control-I had no means to make things right… I had no way to change anything…”

But that wasn't entirely true... Was it?

She hadn't spoken up when she had instinctively felt something was wrong, hadn't involved herself in the affairs of her parents when it might have been just enough... To save mother-to help them all scrap back together the life they once had.

If she had taken the chance despite being afraid, had been so much braver...

Perhaps, in the end it truly had been her fault.

Belle flinched and almost cried out when she felt a hand abruptly take hold of her face, dragging her back to the horrific picture around her. It was the woman-not mother-it could never be mother-with the empty eye socket peering back at her and smiling a smile that was too twisted to be the beautiful one of her memories. There was just enough there though in those familar features that Belle's wounded spirit and broken heart fell to further pieces.

“Mom, please… I’m so sorry for failing you… I'm-I'm so sorry I wasn't there for you when you needed someone!” Tears prickled at her eyes as she fought the urge to pull back from the blood coated fingers clasped over her jaw, softly brushing a thumb over her cheek. Yet, the soft touch of this ghost like figure became harsh when the bloodied digits curled painfully into her chin. “Ow! Mother! MOTHER!”

 _“It’s okay Belle, all your friends here tell me that we can be together again. It’ll be okay from here out-we can go back to the way things were-all of us can!”_ The woman continued to smile with an eagerness that was cold hearted, lacking all that it was to be anything remotely like the one she loved. It was what she said though that surprised the frightened beauty to the core.

“F-Friends! What are you talking about?” Belle sputtered out in blatant confusion from beneath the loose locks of her hair that had fallen into her face. That didn't make any sense-it was just the three of them in this horrible world where teeth talked from within machine's mouths and dead people reenacted their pain on theater stages.

 _“Yes, they're all here to watch the show and to welcome you!”_ The bloodied woman simply said as if it was the most joyous news to share. Belle couldn't follow at first, but it was only a moment later when she finally glanced away from her mother at the increase of movement beyond them that she did...

She'd been right.

They weren't alone, there had been an audience watching this entire time. Surrounding the three of them in the distorted entertainment room were human like shapes with each their own set of eyes and teeth becoming illuminated within the advancing darkness.

And they were all staring straight at her.

The young woman's trembling turned to full out quivering then, and Belle attempted to swallow the build up of saliva in her throat from the cruel grip of her 'mother' only to end up chocking on it in her horror. No matter how far she managed to shift her head she couldn't tell how many people-how many of these  _things_ were there, but the masses of shadows all aimed their gazes at her with horrible tiny pinpoint eyes and jaws curled downwards in agape agony. They were deadly silent all the while, not a single sound escaping their hellish faces as they just waited... And watched...

 **“THAT’S RIGHT!”** Rumplestiltskin's wicked giggling above her caused her gaze to jerk back to his own still hovering above as her mother let go. Yet, the eyes looking at her were two yellow specs within the metal sockets just like the monstrous figures closing in. It was then her body finally seemed welcome to obey her commands as the instincts to run and flee became her only thought at such a stare. Forget her mother-forget these impostors parading as the ones she cared for-forget this place-forget everything and _RUN_ every fiber of being screamed in union.

But there would be no running from how hard her body was being crushed beneath those metal hands of her so called friend, and the glee in the booming voice singing aloud made it clear... He had no intention of letting her go.

**“OHHHH, YOU DON’T HAVE TO BE ALONE ANYMORE!”**

Rumplestiltskin began to open his already far too wide mouth wider with each note, the claps of his hinge jaw starting to bend too far before they broke with a mighty crack. Ripping from the joint the stretching wires pulled till they snapped, sparking and wriggling like dying snakes about his head. Belle opened her own mouth to let out a sound of fear, but nothing came out-not a shrill or whispered cry, at the sharp deadly teeth now hinged like a bear trap above her head.

**“COME ON AND JOIN THE FORTY-FOUR!”**

They started to scream then-the shadow like people all around her in unison, drowning out her own scream that finally ripped free into the void.

But all she heard in that moment was the sound of his massive maw snapping before his jaw crushed her skull straight in.

_**“AHHHHHHHHHHH!”** _

Belle's shrieking didn't end as she somehow continued to thrash in a wild frenzy despite the horror she just endured. In her mind she could only see the crimsons and pinks of her brain matter spattering the tiled floors of Avonlea, dripping from the teeth of her so called friend clenched around the ruins of her head.

The terror was so great it took her a few seconds to notice that she wasn't in any true danger at all.

What was ensnaring her-pinning her down, was merely her bed sheets that she quickly pulled free from as she sat up in the plushness of her warm bed. Gasping for air she managed to regain her lost breath and allow reality to seep back into the frantic pulse of her nerves. Belle was just where she remembered being before she passed out with a book in hand-snuggled into her comforter on her bed in her simple apartment like any other typical day. The air of her bedroom was deathly quiet besides her frantic breathing with only the barest of sounds coming from the library downstairs.

'It was just a dream…’ She thought, raking her wide eyes over the room barely lit by the bits of sunlight slipping past her closed curtains. Reaching out a still trembling hand she wiped the sweat beading on her brow while the hammering of her heart subsided. ‘It wasn’t real… It was just a terrible-terrible nightmare-nothing more... Oh thank god...’

The terror she'd previously felt continued to crawl across her pale skin despite knowing that all she witnessed was far from real. The vivid images of her mother plucking out her own eye and the gruesome way Rumplestiltskin crushed her head into a bloody pulp nearly made her gag right then and there. Not wanting to taste such vile she forced it away, and instead chose to lay back down, curling over her wad of rose colored beddings to look at the clock on her nightstand.

‘It’s one forty five in the afternoon… I over slept, crap.’ The alarm clock hadn’t gone off like it should have since the usual little tune had been absent in rousing her. Belle sighed to herself, she must have forgotten to reset it before passing out-which would've saved her from suffering such a hellish fright in the end.

Blinking her dark blue eyes in the dim lighting the drowsy young woman thought further over the scenes still whirling away in her brain despite how she didn't want to. Her memory managed to piece together some of it despite how portions were already fading away. The last thing she recalled hearing was a haunting tune that her mechanical friend had sung-or that the strange... What was it- _teeth_  that had been hiding inside of his mouth had sung... Yes, it continued to linger, because she had heard something similar from him before, more specifically a word-a number, that was starting to make her think it meant something...

“It was forty-four...  What does that mean though-I know he’s said that before in his fit… And what was with those teeth? Or those faces-those things that were watching me in the shadows?” Belle groaned at herself-it was pointless to ask about something as meaningless as a dream. That's all that it was in the end, one that was probably stirred by her stress at her other job the last few days... Besides, it was time for her to get up anyways, and so groggily she went about unfurling herself from the comforter before stepping directly onto the cold hardwood floor. The chill of the wood sent a another shiver up her spine, and quickly she stood, moving to her dresser to escape her simple sheer night gown and put on some socks-not to mention get some proper clothes to face the midday.

Even as she went about doing her usual routine of cleaning up with a shower and a bit of make up, slipping into a cute blue dress with matching heels, and tidying her messy bed the eerie melody of her nightmare echoed in the back of her mind...

‘Forty-four… Forty-four...'

Shaking her head Belle chided herself once more before pushing away such nonsense when she neared her bedroom curtains. With a mighty yank the curtain rod rattled with the movement of the material, casting a wide panel of light to peel away the soft shadows of her bedroom. It was a lovely feeling of the immediate warmth against her skin, the radiating light seeming to chase away the chill as well as the darkness that had been determined to cling to her since she'd awoke. With a curious glance outside it was easy to see it was just another simple day in Storybrooke too. Her blue eyes watched the world moving on as normal as ever downtown-all unknowing of Avonlea's well kept secret hidden amongst them on a day to day basis unlike how she did. 

A secret who was not terrifying like one would think at first glance, but kind and sweet-who wouldn't hurt her like she'd imagined in the throes of sleep. After all he'd near thrown himself at the maintenance room boiler in fear when he thought she was going to strip him of his shirt. At that humorous recollection a beautiful smile curled about her pink lips as she brushed off the dream entirely to nonsense. Like those very dark thoughts she turned from the curtain that sent her figure glowing with its bright yellow light to focus on the bright reality before her.

And yet despite Belle's claims-her bough of bravery telling her she had nothing to fear, one dainty hand couldn't help but touch the bottom of her right eye.

But of course, it was still there.

—————

“Belle are you alright? You're starting to blend in with the Larkspur over there.”

The auburn haired beauty barely heard her father’s voice, far too taken to the fading evening sunlight drifting through the tinted window of his shop. It was dappling her alongside the variety of blue flowers clamoring for it in their pots that she too had been craving since early afternoon. But out that pane of glass her eyes of a similar hue were stuck looking at things far beyond the simple Storybrooke street, the cars slowly stopping at the traffic light, and the people walking by. Despite being too far away to physically see it from here Avonlea was on her mind like usual, her head full of imaginings of the kids and parents surely coming and going from the family fun center... And she couldn't help but think of the sole inhabitant who'd soon be free to wander in its emptiness that she'd be joining him in at midnight.

Yet, against her wishes the flickering images of a that horrible dream disturbed those current lovely thoughts. Bits and pieces of that nightmare recalled themselves beneath the glinting of the sun-the blood, the gore, the abhorrent violence, no matter how hard she tried to keep it at bay.

“Blue-Bell you’re worrying me.”

It was at the sound of that silly nickname that Belle snapped out of her trance. Her father used the moniker only on rare occasions-not so much now that she was older, but it was always strange to hear as normally only mom used it- _had used it_... That meant she really must have dazed off enough to worry her old man.

“Oh, I’m sorry dad-I got a bit distracted there again, didn't I?" Belle replied as she turned away from the window while shaking her head at how distant she’d been all day. The thirsty plants of his shop wouldn't be sated at this rate with her absent minded dawdling, and so she grabbed the abandoned water can to resume her work. It'd been quite a few years since she'd been assigned to this task, having done it often as a child to help out with what she could, but the reward of knowing she'd help such beautiful things blossom made it a task she enjoyed.

"Hah, you wouldn't be the daughter I've known all these years if you weren't distracted, but normally it's just with some book." Her father chuckled, drawing Belle's gaze away from a hanging basket of blazing wayfair to where he sat at the large work table of his floral shop. At the moment he was handling various flower stems with care as he pieced together another vase for his front window display. Dressed in his usual attire of a button down polo and trade mark hat of his favorite football team he hardly looked like the town florist-the only way most people figured it out was from the labeled ‘Game of Thorns’ apron he had tied about his person. It just made her laugh like always with a soft giggle escaping her throat without his notice. People were always suprised and alarmed when they found out that Moe French, this heavier set older man, knew far more about flower arrangements than anything about fixing a car.

It was with thoughts like these that made the young woman wonder if she'd ended up more like her father than she always claimed. After all, they were both doing what was unexpected of them by others, but then again her mom had been that way too, just in a manner that was...

At that a heavy emotion glazed over her lidded eyes, and so Belle glanced away from him to the linoleum floor beneath her heels. Despite being fairly good at what he did her father would never have become a florist in the first place if it hadn't been for her mother’s insistence. That was a fact he'd told her countless times over the years in moments of frustration with his line or work or when he'd taken great pride in settling a large sale. As the story went both of her parents had been so stubborn in their own ways about the initial idea-with her mother believing her father had a talent that he had been too nervous to pursue, but sure enough here he was in this vast shop of greenery, proving his past self wrong and proving his departed wife right.

‘Perhaps, I'm just a lot like them both in the end.’ Belle bemused to herself with a soft smile, but that short lived amusement drifted away when her father spoke.

“Do you have anything you need to talk about? I know I'm not the best at handling... Well you know, but I'm still your father after all. It’s my job to lend an ear, though I might not always understand.” Gazing back at him once more she watched as her father cut the stem of a white lily with precise intent, but his eyes were glancing up at her with a growing concern under the brim of his hat.

Belle was suprised by his inquiry and evident worry, normally her father was not the most ‘aware’ of others feelings-often missing them when they were blatantly proffered. It wasn't like she blamed him for not being more naturally sensitive to others since it was just the nature some people had. However, these fleeting moments of him actually recognizing her distress she usually concealed for his sake had to be treated with trust and care. She despised having to lie unless it was necessary to protect someone or surprise them with a gift, especially having to fib to her father.

“I had a bad dream last night, that's all.” She stated the simple version of the truth with a slight shrug. "It was so outrageous that I shouldn't have been bothered by it-there was no way it could happen, and I bet by tomorrow I'll have completely forgotten about it."

Instead of moving on like she'd expected, or getting a quick lecture over dreams meaning nothing at all-she'd done her fair share all day, her father quietly nestled the single lily amongst the other flowers in the vase. The display was coming along wonderfully like all the others he'd done so far today, but he didn't move to grab another stalk sitting beside him.

Instead he asked her a single question she had hoped he wouldn't.

“Was it about your mother?”

Belle stopped in place, her heart beat increasing a little as the harsh images of that terrible day-of that dream, slithered out again from their dark corners. Needing to steady herself she reached out to brush one of her fingers over a delicate rose head leaning up into the light. The softness of the pink petals greeted her fingers with a wonderful sensation that had her smiling despite the layer of gloom seeming to hold onto her amongst the dappling sunshine.

“Yeah, but it was only just a dream-it wasn't really her.” From the tone of her voice it was clear she meant she wanted to say nothing more on the matter.

Her father didn't say anything further at first, remaining completely silent from where he sat. Slowly that same air of quiet settled itself, leaving them to hear the faint dripping of the water system in the back and hum of the refrigeration keeping the clipped bouquets cool. Belle chose to resume aiding her father by hand watering a small bush of roses she had wandered near, noticing it was more parched than the others with the slight droop of its olive leaves.

“Your mother loved flowers so much.” Belle’s ears pricked upon his words, but she focused on her task, going from one small pot of roses to the next with her watering can. “She really did-she was nuts about them and not just your typical flowers, but all sorts of plants and such. She loved them all with a passion, from the prettiest ones to some of the ugliest and strangest things I’ve ever seen-smelliest things too. But, as you already know she was oddly and especially fond of cactus for some reason-an obsession I never understood, but it made her happy so I could never bring myself to say anything...”

Belle smiled a bit brighter at that as the good memories of days long lost filled the hollow emptiness through out her chest. “I remember that, and how she kept all those small ones on the window sill at home in most of the rooms. She told me that they would protect us and the house, keep the bad things from trying to get in out. Of course literally that would have worked in hindsight-it was a good thing we never had to try to get into the house through a window ourselves!”

It seemed this shared good memory resonated with them both for her father began to smile widely alongside her. The pull of those distant memories couldn't help but draw Belle's vivid eyes from the last of the roses she was watering to a set of shelves across the room. There in assorted pots and varieties sat decorative cacti of all kinds, and she was all too soon approaching them, minding their points as she checked how dry the soil was for a few. Her father must have noticed his once again distracted daughter as he chuckled from upon his stool, returning to clipping at the lily stems too.

“You know... You should take one of them home. I know you don't have much greenery in your new apartment yet, and I have several too many here from the last shipment. Not that anyone in Storybrooke has a demand for them-hey, maybe you could take it to Avonlea instead-I’m sure Mr. Getto wouldn’t mind you having it in your office.” Her father piped up from over at his table, and Belle immediately grew fond of the sudden idea as well as noted happily his growing ease at accepting her current job.

Truthfully it would be nice to have some green living thing inside the otherwise cold, metal, and tiled world of Avonlea. Though it wouldn't be enough to keep an intruder out if someone attempted to break in it would be something that not only she could look after but Rumplestiltskin as well... Perhaps, it would give him something extra to do in his few hours of freedom even if it was such a menial task considering how plants like that didn't need that much care.

The more the security guard thought about it the more she began to like the plan, and the more she thought of it the more she realized something rather amusing. Her unique companion was a lot like a cactus himself, and the humor of their similarity made her giggle quietly to herself. The golden green animatronic she'd come to call friend had been a rather prickly character upon their first meeting and for a while after he'd continued to snap and jab back in his snarks to keep her at bay and to be left alone... Or so he claimed he wanted-a cutting contrast to how he always seemed to end up back near her quaint little office. However, with just a little bit of care and affection in a place drought of it Belle had found the real Rumplestiltskin blossoming before her very eyes, bearing himself and allowing her see the him beneath the facade, impish quips, and metal plates he tried to hide beneath.

And the more she saw of him-of his soul and brilliant spark, the more she found herself pulled to him-drawn to him in a way she'd yet to under-

"Ouch!" Belle abruptly cried to herself, finding her index finger throbbing which she quickly stuck into her mouth. In her dazed thinking the beauty hadn't minded where her finger had been traveling near one of the barbed plants, which meant she got a terrible surprise of one sharp spine sticking itself into her tender flesh.

In a flash the visions of her nightmare came back-of sharp deadly teeth crushing into her skull from how Rumplestiltskin did such an unspeakable thing to her.

But, that wasn't him-it wasn't the him she knew just like that hadn't been her mother there either, but still Belle frowned as her heart rate decreased from the sudden shock of her pain and heightened fears... Despite knowing all of this, what happened here was a good reminder. Because, if she wasn’t careful regarding the strange being she'd come to care for-if she allowed herself to forget what he was entirely it was possible she might find herself impaled upon those very dense spines of his and bloodied in her ignorance.

It was a rather morose bleak thought, but thinking of his previous fit and how he'd nearly dug his teeth into her throat... He hadn't though-that was important to remember to-he hadn't hurt her, but by accident...

With her mind heavy and her finger only a bit sore now she went about casting aside such thoughts to finish watering the few plants needing a bit of care. In doing so she had plenty enough time to finalize her decision on the prickly subject to which she turned to face her father.

“You know what... I think I’ll just do that-I’ll take one of these to Avonlea, and I’ll pay for it of course.” The young woman said, though her father was quick to huff as he waved a lily in rebuttal.

“I can spare my daughter a measly cactus! So go on and pick out whichever one you want there.”

She rolled her eyes at him when he turned away just as the bell hanging from front door began to ring with a loud clatter against the wooden frame. Surprise-surprise, it looked like they would have a final customer this evening before closing up shop, and quickly Belle glanced to her father before nodding at him that she'd take care of it. Darting from the back room to the front parlor of the shop she entered with a polite smile aimed at the man who now stood there, glancing about at the sea of green he'd found himself wandering into. The stranger was someone she wasn't sure she'd seen before-he was a taller fellow with short hair and blue eyes sporting a plaid shirt and leather jacket, but after studying him further she had a feeling she knew who this was from a certain waitress's description a while back.

“Good afternoon, how can I help you today?” Belle politely said, minding her heels down the steps to the lower part of the shop floor.

David Nolan, or at least who she could easily assume, smiled back at her with a white toothed pretty smile. It was enough for her to figure why Ruby's friend Mary Margret had nicknamed her boyfriend ‘Charming’. While she did find him 'attractive' in a sense she found with a steady observation that he was not her type in the slightest, though figuring out her 'type' was still an ongoing issue that she also did not like to think about.

“Hello, I’m needing to order some flowers to send as a gift, but now I'm just not sure what exactly to be looking for.” He began, and it was almost made her chuckle to find him intimidated by the sheer amount of plants as he ducked around a hanging basket of decorative ivy. It made a part of her that always seemed focused elsewhere wonder how Rumplestiltskin would ever react getting to see this place for himself, if that was ever going to be a possibility... Fearing she was once again distracted by thoughts of the animatronic sorcerer plaguing her as of late Belle shifted her attention to the here and now.

“Don't worry, we should be able to get you something easily enough. I assume these are going to a Ms. Mary Margaret Blanchard?” Belle smirked knowingly, and the man grew a bit agape at her instant conclusion, having not expected it. Amused more so she responded first with a swarm of wonderful ideas already bustling at fore front of her mind. “My father’s got some lovely rose bouquets or some fall themed vase pieces that she’d might like. Do you know what her favorite flowers are or anything that might be sentimental to her? Her preference in color is also very helpful.”

“That sounds wonderful, thanks. I not entirely sure-I know she's not too big on roses... That and she use to grow these one's called snowdrops with her mother when she was younger." After hearing that Belle turned on a thin heel, prepared to take him to some fine vases she knew would work perfectly when she heard him call back out to her. "Oh miss-are you alright? It looks like you're bleeding-"

Confused by his question alongside the slight shine of concern in his eyes the young woman blinked before looking over her person to find just what he was talking about. It was when she noticed several bright red drops on the floor that she startled, looking down at her index finger and the beads of blood oozing from where she'd hurt herself a minute ago. Without hesitation she brushed her soiled and bloodied digit against her apron as she tried to wipe aside the strange unease she felt starting to rise up in her veins too.

Hoping to put him and herself at ease she laughed a bit before wrapping the clean edge of her apron around her finger. "I'm alright-when you work with plants like I have you end up getting pricked when you're not being mindful. Now... Let's see about finding you the perfect arrangement."

—————

Midnight had approached all too quickly after leaving her father's flower shop when they'd finish their weekly dinner. Nothing remarkable had occurred for the rest of the day either, but oddly enough.. Despite how it had been a few hours since pricking herself and half a day since she woke up, Belle still found herself feeling...

Uneasy-nervous-these were the best ways to describe it. Altogether she was suffering this unexplainable feeling clenching deep down in her gut as she drove-headed towards her nightly shift like usual.

In all honesty she knew exactly why she was feeling that way, but it was far too silly to be that worked up over something like a dream for some one at her age. That didn't mean the effects that were lingering changed with that knowledge or eased the burden on her pride. In fact they remained somehow, making her feel far worse than earlier in the morning with guilt eating at her insides.

However, she knew deep in her heart that Rumplestiltskin would never hurt her like he had in her nightmare-the imagery still making her gut wrench a bit. After slowly unraveling a bit of his mysteries surrounding him it had become apparent he just wasn’t capable of intentionally doing something that horrible to anyone-now by accident perhaps he was able to hurt someone rather well, but never on purpose. It was also true that he'd scared her and frightened her the night they first properly-or improperly met, and he had accidentally hurt her hand in his grip without knowing. Yet, after he had never hurt her again or approached her in hopes to scare her off either. Like the shy being he was beyond the impish form he bore he hardly touched her or allowed himself to be that close much to her growing frustration and confusion. Every time she pretty much had to be the one to initiate contact between the two of them to which he would try his hardest to allow her to simply embrace him of all things.

So instead of focusing on the pointless nervousness at the pit of her stomach she shifted her attention to something else-a prickly thing she'd brought along with her. Belle was half tempted to name the plump cactus currently occupying her passengers seat ‘Rumplestiltskin JR’, but she hesitated-sure the animatronic would immediately object. That didn't mean it stopped her from imagining hearing his shrill squawking voice sputtering and denying her request to give him a prickly heir with his absurd excuses. Such imagery only made it that more tempting as she giggled to herself. 

“Oh, I bet he’ll want to call you ‘troublesome plant’ or maybe 'detestable greenery'-perhaps something of that sort. Don't worry though, whatever he'll agree with me to name you he'll mean in it a nice way... He's odd like that-doesn't quite know how to show affection, which is understandable given his situation." Belle mused out loud to the flora sitting quietly in its pot and jolting slightly from her turning down into a nearby neighborhood.

It was then she realized what she was doing with how she opened her mouth to chatter further, causing the young woman let out loud a great sigh instead before shaking her head.

“Great-look at me now-I’m the one actually starting to talk to plants. Maybe Ruby is right and I really do need to get out more...”

Thoughts of her lack of a proper social life came to a halt when in another turn she found herself drawing ever closer to Avonlea. So far her Thursday night drive to work was just as normal as any after she pulled up, parked her vehicle in her usual spot, and stepped out onto the empty lot. Yet, she quickly found her dark blue jacket had finally become useful after hauling it about since she started here as there was a slight chill creeping in-a normal occurrence for the Maine town as it was the early part of October. Tugging her jacket about her form she carefully handle the plant in one arm and her bag slung across her other before she went about entering the building. The security alarm was a bit tricky with the prickly load in her grasp, but she managed to disarm and rearm it before setting out into the darkness of the family fun center.

After making her way back to her office she settled the plant down on her desk along with the rest of her things before pondering as to where the cactus would make its new home. Her room was not looking likely as it had no window which meant it wouldn’t survive for very long there. The establishment's new resident was going to need a fair amount of light during the day, but where would there be such a good amount in such a sturdy castle like building? The security guard stood there mulling it over only to have her mind quickly pulled away again when a sound rose up suddenly through the halls.

_'Clack Clack Clack Clack'_

The all too familar 'clacking' of a certain mechanical man's footsteps against the tiles began to echo towards her, stilling her instantly in place.

 _“Rumplestiltskin…”_ That whispered name fell from her lips while her heart began to pound fiercely in her chest for some reason. A small wave of apprehension crawled over exposed flesh like wriggling bugs as the thin hair on her arms stood on end. Yet, she brushed aside such feelings with a mighty frown settling upon her features-it was horrible that she was allowing such foolish emotions have its way towards the machine she'd come to care greatly for.

‘Stop it-he's not threat to you-he's your friend after all! So knock it off-you’ve had bad dreams before about other people too-get over it! It's not like he's going to run into the room screeching and suddenly tear your head off.’

Crossing her arms over each other she stood strong as the fear she felt faded with each resounding step. Soon enough she could tell the approaching mechanical man had halted by the door frame, hiding there a moment in the dark before peering over the wood trimming towards her. Those two large yellow eyes, glowing like usual in their dark pits, greeted her back, and she had to instantly smile at the soft expression he worse on his mottled face. However, those eyes of his quickly shifted with an audible click to new organism sitting noticeably on her desk-no doubt a stark contrast for someone who had memorized everything in his home.

For a long moment those alien looking spheres stared at the cactus before flickering back to her, displaying an arrange of confusion within their artificial depths. At first she wondered if he had sensed her initial apprehension upon entering, but then her worries drifted away with the ring of his high pitched voice. 

“What on earth is that?” Rumplestiltskin asked while he pointed from behind the safety of his door frame-one black claw directed at the plant. Belle didn't know if she should be concerned or amused to see his lips strain his age lines in a uneasy sneer as if he was greatly offended by its mere presence.

“I'll take it that means you’ve never seen a cactus before.” Belle stated more so than asked while one of her brows quirked in his direction. Looking a bit flustered the machine peeled himself from the shadows and leaned more into the room, though half of his tightly leather clad hips were comically still hidden behind the wall as if he was preparing to dart away at any given minute. Sometimes she was't sure if she'd ever understand this odd being... Did he think it was suddenly going to open a mouth full of way sharper spines and bite at him of all things?

At that she had to bite back the grin twitching at her mouth-of all the things he could be worried about she hadn't expected this.

Having heard her comment clearly the animatronic's eyes lidded in an disgruntled looking manner while his impish tone increased in pitch. “Hate to break it to you dearie, but I don’t get out much. I’m sure there are plenty enough things in that great wide somewhere out there you live in that I don’t know anything about. However, that is quite the…  _Ugliest_ little thing you've brought here isn’t it? Couldn't you have found something more appealing?”

“Hey! It's not ugly!” Belle exclaimed without much though before grabbing the pot, bringing all of it near her chest as she felt oddly offended by his comment. These type of plants were sentimental to her considering her mother's attachment in the past, but something about the way he said it... It was like it bothered her on another level that had her cheeks flushing a bit while she tried to figure it out. “I-I know cactuses are not the prettiest plant around, but for what they lack they make up for it by being strong, sturdy, and not needing as much care in order to show their true potential.”

“Well that may be true, but it is still needlessly pointy for a plant. I mean what in nature would want to eat that even without all those needles...” The imp mumbled with a jittery finger tapping at his chin as if he was contemplating about something far deeper than he spoke of. Abruptly without any warning he decided to walk completely into the room with intention in his gaze, making the beauty raise her brow higher at him in confusion. No answer met her wordless question before Rumplestiltskin made his move, reaching out a segmented hand to touch the needle like protrusions of the cactus while she watched in shock.

Quickly she pulled pot and all away from his nearing hand just in time to save him from pricking himself upon it like she had earlier.

“Don’t do that! Are you purposefully trying to get yourself hurt?” Belle chided him blatantly, but it was too late for her to realize her mistake as the words had already found their way free into the open air.

The mechanical man caught her error right away as he tittered at her in usual fashion before withdrawing his hands to his chest-the digits going about kneading a nonexistent material between them. “Oh dearie-dear! Did you happen to forget what I am? Those little spines can't hurt me considering I can’t feel anything physically to begin with-let alone pierce my hull! Which leads me to wonder why on earth you is susceptible to such things would want such a potentially dangerous… _'Thing'_ around you? It’s quite peculiar really-I swear you humans make no sense sometimes.” He hummed the last part with a crackle of glee all while looking at her with a strange interest gleaming in his eyes-one that was far kinder than his previous scowls at the plant.

Seeing such tenderness and curiosity of his own aimed at her caused Belle to feel that much warmer, her jacket no longer feeling necessary.

Trying to find an answer to his question she wracked her brain, but all she could focus on was his small fragile smile. It looked like the hopeful one he bore in rare occasions towards her-silent yet speaking volumes of that he would or could not admit in words. That's when it hit her as it rose back up from earlier in that day. Standing there she recalled the previous connections she made between the two things that were so different and yet not.

Belle shook her head slightly before looking up at him with a determined expression, hoping to prove that she wasn't silly about this or the being before her. “Just because something is possibly dangerous or could hurt you… Doesn’t mean it can’t be likable, wanted, or lovable to someone-even simply appreciated. I don't think that it's ugly at all-in fact, in my eyes it's as beautiful as any other plant out there, perhaps more so because of what it means to me... And that has to mean something about its worth, doesn't it?”

Vibrant blue eyes held their contact with those wide and stunned metal amber ones as a silence filled the air of her office for a few moments in rising tension. All the while she couldn't help but wonder at what he was thinking about or if he caught her underlining meaning that had her heart pounding a bit in a mixture of excitement and anticipation. Far too soon-as if breaking free of some trance, Rumplestiltskin peeled his gaze away with an audible 'click' to glance back down at the plant solemnly.

“You know... It can’t change what it is and always will be-no matter what you think of it. Maybe it will grow and produce some form of beauty if that is possible from such a... Thing, but those...” The imp flourished his clattering hand in a showy manner around the round cactus with his unique mannerism. “Those _spikes..._ They will still remain-a threat that will never cease or go away unless it is dealt with, and eventually sooner or later you’ll get hurt because of them-whether it intends to hurt you or not...” She noticed that his odd lit was not the imp she'd come to hear prance and delight in its silliness from time to time, nor was it the childlike innocence that Rumplestiltskin naturally had in his befuddlement of matters he could not understand or relate to. “See? You should just get rid of it-toss it out to spare yourself-after all it's better to be safe than sorry, isn’t that how the saying goes?”

He tilted his head, not quite meeting her eyes now, and because of that Belle was able to study his features without fear of him noticing. There she saw a seriousness that was unusual across the fake flesh and faux skin that he somehow breathed life into despite his form with its unnatural composition.

“I’m not sorry to try, and if I do happen to get hurt someday any pain will be worth it to enjoy what it has to offer. Besides, everything has a place in this world... No matter what it is or where it came from.” She stated clearly which made those lips of his press into a small grimace with something undefinable flashed across his gaze. Willing herself to be brave she pressed on, letting her heart speak what it willed though part of her pulled back in fear of the fiery passionate emotions his words had fueled deep inside her. “Regardless of any of your worries the plant is going to stay here-so Rumplestiltskin meet _'Rumple-prickle-skin'_ our newest addition to Avonlea's night crew.”

Hearing that newly dubbed name caused his head to immediately jerk up, meeting her playful eyes with harshly squinted ones. As expected a loud huff of air gushed from the hydraulic bits in his throat, stating the fact that was already well obvious that he was quite displeased with this turn of events.

“I will not share my name with such a silly unpleasant thing! It should be called something far more befitting of its nature like-Belle- _Belle_ … Er...  _Belle Pinch!”_ Rumplestiltskin practically squawked with his arms flying about in uncontainable outrage.

The absurd name just about forced the security guard to drop the plant due to the heavy bough of laughter that came spewing out of her throat. “Belle Pinch? Is that the best you’ve got? I think my fearsome sorcerer needs to step up his naming game, and I think Rumple-prickle-skin is much better fit since you two have almost the same coloring.”

The imp stood up straight as an arrow at her claim, and she could see that he was trying his hardest not to smile at her despite his frustrations-the right corner of his mouth twitching all the while. Thinking it best to leave him some of his pride she decided to let the joke go along with the plant that she set back down on the desk. 

“Okay-okay-I know that nickname is not going to go over well, and I've already got one Rumplestiltskin-which is more than enough for me to handle." That earned her a coy smile from him full of mechanical mischief, and her heart only picked up the pace from the sight of it which forced her to school herself back down to not let him see her fluster. "H-How about we just call it... Something we both can agree on... Like... Prickle perhaps?”

“I... I don’t see the point in naming a thoughtless cactus, but very well, may we dub the little fickle- _'Prickle'_." Rumplestiltskin flittered a segmented hand towards the portly plant once more, looking at least compliant with this name but still acting completely sarcastic... Just like she figured he would, causing her to roll her eyes when he wasn't looking. "Though I must say your office will not the best place to keep it-that much I know. It'll need proper sunlight just like any other plant, but it can't be out on the main floor because of the rules let alone children possibly getting hurt... Perhaps it should make its home in the break room then? The large window facing the parking lot sees quite a bit of sun most of the day.”

The spot had not occurred to her yet, and so Belle beamed brightly at the mechanical man and his wonderful idea. It seemed that he was already warming up to the thought of them caring for their new friend despite his harsh critique of it which made her near him in growing giddiness.

“Yes, that’d would be perfect, and it’ll be easy to water him when he needs it with a sink right there, nor do I think that Mr. Getto will mind him being there.” Belle stated ecstatically in contrast to the pursed expression her nightly companion had aimed at her.

“Great, now this thing is also a ‘he’ on top of having a name… I’m growing quite worried for you my noble knight.” Rumplestiltskin sighed out loud, but it seemed her eagerness had him giving up on his previous scowling. "Then again you've befriended me and considered me in a similar regard all while knowing-well, I suppose it is too late to do much worrying."

"I suppose it is." The young woman had to laugh in response, and after all his grumpy facades her companion ended up giggling alongside her. The unique sound made the pounding of her heart not one of fear anymore-not in the slightest, but one of… Of what exactly she wasn't sure. Whatever reason the organ was beating loudly beneath her ribs now she just knew it felt right and good in a way that was incredibly foreign to her after so long being without it. Being close to someone like this... Beyond just forced pleasantries and standard chattering of acquaintances and strangers-it was nice...

And for him with his crinkled wonky smile full of mossy metal teeth he currently bore... She was sure he felt the same.

It was then though he appeared momentarily distracted-still smiling all the while, as he cocked his head to look at her owlishly.

"Now you mentioned that this type of plant-a cactus, means something to you doesn't it? I assumed you got it from your father's flower shop, but it seems there is much more to your reasoning for picking it than that..." His voice trailed off, the electronic humming fading away while she glanced back to the bright orange pot and its contents. It was a bit unnerving how he could sense such shifts of emotions in her towards such things. Could he even somehow sense the bit of melancholy that filled her heart when she gazed at what reminded her of such long lost days?

Not wanting to put a damper on their mood let alone cause him to worry like she knew he honestly did the beauty reached up to fiddle with her hair as she spoke. "Ah-yeah, we use to have a lot of them in the house when I was young-sitting at the windowsills through out most of the year. Australia is pretty warm year round after all, so I do hope it will be fine here in Avonlea later on in the winter. I'm sure with you being the one who will have to take care of it for most of the time that it will be perfectly fine though."

"W-wait-I'm the one who is suppose to take care of it? It's your plant-you brought it here!" He momentarily fumed, cutting himself short when Belle just giggled further at him, his composure seeming to grow more unsteady at such a random response. Sensing that she was teasing him he crossed his arms, pouting like a child given a chore before abruptly turning back towards the door to her surprise. "I get it-you're not here every night like I am, but if I'm to take care of it you better show me how. If the portly thing withers away it won't be on my account since I'm not use to having to... Care for anyone..."

With that statement Belle blinked a moment before smiling to herself his leather coat cladded back. In one swoop she snatched the cactus back up, joining Rumplestiltskin at his side to which he seemed pleased by though like always he was trying his best to seem anything but. It just had her more confident than before in her choice in trusting in him-which was far more than being about taking care of their new spiny addition. While he himself was prickly for sure, and was possibly capable of great harm like she had begun to learn about... The young woman wouldn't have to be weary of him regarding that at all-the true kind nature of his 'essence'... Of this 'soul' he somehow had told her that much.

Yes, as she walked by his side down that dark hallway, his glowing eyes and her flashlight distilling the darkness before them, she knew her nightmare had no hold any longer.

Because she had no reason to fear him at all.

—————

It didn't take long for the unique pair to reach the break room and begin to discuss-more so figure out, the new lodgings for Belle's acquisition that day. Just like he'd suggested the large window they often use to wave at one another when she headed home was the perfect place for the cactus. Placed at the corner of the back counter 'Prickle' looked quite lovely in the new environment and was a refreshing sight amongst the otherwise inorganic world of Avonlea... At least in Belle’s opinion as Rumplestiltskin continued to claim it was 'still quite unsightly'. Yet, in light of his constant mocking he gave her his undivided attention when she instructed him on the plant's care which was a very simple affair given its rather simple needs. In the end she was sure the machine would handle it without letting harm befall the small plant as she watched him grow fussy over figuring how much water to give it in one go.

Within such a peaceful moment like this the security guard noticed how the former nervousness that she had been feeling all day had washed away. Overall it was like she had forgotten the terrible dream completely as she chatted with Rumplestiltskin in the dim glow of the vending machines, leaving Prickle to be as they walked together back to her office. 

After getting settled in for another uneventful night in her small space both night guard and animatronic sat side by side, reading silently to themselves on the small couch. Right away she observed how the proximity of them sitting near each other had not wained the last few days either-like he was growing much more bold despite never saying anything of it. Pleased by this discovery Belle went about playfully nudging the leather bound knee that was almost touching her own. Naturally Rumplestiltskin jerked a bit in response to the sudden action, letting her see the way his eyes lit up for a sparse second. Her delight continued grow though as his knee stilled a moment before bumping gently right back.

A timid smile plastered on his face all the while.

Not before long-perhaps two hours in, Belle found herself flipping a page and releasing a loud unintentional yawn. With that she got a chuckle from the machine before she excused herself with flashlight in tow to go make some coffee in hopes to deal better with the rest of the night. As she got up he seemed to think it best to take a break as well, joining her upon his feet while stating that he would be out walking the floor if she needed to pester him for whatever reason. A part of her wanted to ask him to come with her, but she remained quiet as they parted ways at the front of her office. Considering she hadn't allowed him proper space the entire night so far it had her nervous that if she had she may have just seemed clingy or end up just being an annoyance...

After all she knew he wouldn’t refuse her offer if she did mention it as he never had in their time together since they established being near each other was fine. But even then she couldn't help wondering if perhaps she bothered him ever in some way regardless. Did... Did he see her more of a bothersome pest sometimes than good company? It had been so long since she had a true proper... Companion like him that she was entirely unsure as sad as that was.

The more she thought about it too as she wandered alone the more it seemed clear that she was also in need of attention and care like her mechanical friend was.

This caused Belle to exhale deeply as she reentered the empty break room, trying to figure out what exactly the whirl of emotions in her were trying to be tonight. First she'd been feeling fear-then a sudden ease around him-her usual playfulness towards Rumple and now... Here she was longing for him to be back at her side though he was not truly that far away nor would be gone for long. Good grief! How could she feel all these things in such a short span of time over one single person-oh, wait…

Over one _machine-_ she corrected herself, sincehe technically wasn't a person-not an actual 'human being'.

“How do I keep doing that? I keep forgetting that he’s not human-no matter how many times I tell myself. It doesn't help that he really... _Really_ , acts like one-like he is alive. But, does it really matter if he technically isn't either? He's... I don't know-he's practically human, and yet not, and I am so confused on how I should feel towards him in general right now... At least I'm not feeling irrationally afraid anymore.” The tired night guard mumbled while pinching the bridge of her nose, and awaiting for the coffeemaker she'd set up to finish readying her brew. 

Though the scent of fresh coffee was relaxing Belle found she simply couldn't stand around to think about these things more deeply than she felt apt to do today. For the time being the security guard figured it was best to occupy herself with something less daunting. Exiting that same door for the second time that night Belle entered the winding hall, but aiming herself towards the employee bathroom not far off.

It was as she neared the corner near Mr. Getto's office and towards the kitchens-absentmindedly for she was still deep in thought, that the young woman managed to catch the faint sound of nearing footsteps. The beam of her flashlight clenched in hand stopped trailing the floor ahead as she gave pause to this abrupt disturbance.

'Huh... What is Rumplestiltskin doing over here-I thought he went down the other way? I guess he already made it around the building-he is pretty fast after all... Or Maybe he doesn't want to be alone as I thought.' Belle wondered in rising hope before turning the flashlight with its bright beam that wobbled from the movement towards the imp a few paces away.

Across the floor it traveled to catch a better view of him, landing upon a pair dark boots and up the shadowy figure standing there.

It was then her heart stopped completely-every cell, fiber, and ounce of blood freezing in her veins as a chill went down her spine. Such fear-it had been a while since she'd felt it, and no less in the same building that had encased it in a block of terror not long ago. Yet, it wasn't Rumplestiltskin this time with his fearsome teeth or glowing eyes floating in the shadows instilling these horrid emotions, no-it was far from anything mechanical-from anything that belonged to Avonlea...

Because who stood there-

It was someone else.

Which only meant one thing-one thing that managed to break through the stillness of her mind.

_Someone had broken into Avonlea._

The darkly cladded figure turned sharply towards her then thanks to the light that gave her right away, and all Belle could do was stand stock still in shock at this unforeseen turn of events. Events that were swiftly flipping back into motion-so fast that she didn’t have enough time to get a good look at whomever it was there. Without any hesitation the unknown figure was already moving towards her, moving as quickly as he seemingly could in that amount of distance. And it struck her instantly by those now out stretched dark gloved hands that it was with every intention of grabbing her.

Belle wasn't allowed to form a scream in response, her voice shriveling and dying in her throat by the paralyzing fear, but with her survival instict kicking into gear she gasped and whipped away from the intruder-near falling to the floor in her adrenaline fueled haste. Further realization hit her like a brick wall as this occurred, because it had become clearer that whomever this was hadn't planned on being caught first. From the way it looked moments ago he'd surely been planning on taking her out before things could escalate to such a manner like they were now.

“Oh for fucks sake!” The figure growled towards her as he raced forward-the masculine voice managing to break through the loud slamming beat of her heart that pounded through her skull. Belle got her footing down though, prepared to bolt away from this intruder who was no doubt a burglar who had snuck through Avonlea's defenses somehow-someway!

Except what happened next was pure blinding pain shooting through her head as she gave a frightened yelp, finding her hair had been harshly grabbed by the man behind her. Flailing in response Belle struck back with her elbow violently hitting her attacker in the chest which caused him to issue a wheeze from the powerful connecting hit.

 _“H-Hold still if you know what's good for you!”_ The man snarled loudly, and Belle cried out in pain again when he used her hair as an anchor to violently pull her down, forcing her to topple to the ground. She found herself hitting the floor shoulder first with her flash light clattering sharply against the ground and thus spinning the light around that left them in partial darkness. In such a vulnerable position terror overtook her mind as she scrambled to get away before the man was right on top of her.

“LET ME G-!” She tried to choke out before the attacker lunged forward, grabbing her by the throat to try and slam her head down straight into the hard checker pattern tiles. Belle gritted down her teeth as she attempted to strike at him in his own throat or any vital spot with her arms as they fought, yet she could not seem to hit him anywhere hard enough to free herself of this grasp slowly starting to leave her breathless. “Get... The h-hell... Off... ME!" Belle tried to scream, and just then she managed to pull up her left leg high enough to kick out with all her strength, hitting her attacker in the groin hard enough her knee popped from the force.

 _ **“FUCKKKKKK!”**_ The man practically cried out in a far more shrill voice than her own, letting go of her instantly and half toppling down to the floor himself to cradle his crotch. The back of Belle’s head was immediately starting to burn from how hard he’d torn at her skull, but all she could think about at this point now she was free was escaping.

 _‘GET TO THE OFFICE-LOCK THE DOOR-CALL POLICE-GET AWAY-’_ The thoughts warned her in their poor attempt to put together reasoning and logic that would help her survive.

Staggering forward Belle managed to get to her knees and then straight to her feet, readying to run with all her might with one powerful push forward.

Just as the man whipped a hand out to grab her leg fast enough she had no time to react.

 tore her only aligned foot from the ground and sent her spiraling back to the cold tiled floor face first.

Belle cracked her cheek and lower jaw against the floor and immediately started gasping and choking from the force of the hit all while trying to get back up again. Everything was swirling around it was hard for her to get a grasp of anything in the darkness.

The man grabbed one of her arms as she tried to kick him again all while getting ready to scream her lungs out. If Rumplestiltskin heard her he’d come running if he hadn’t already!

But the man had something in his hands, an object that Belle identified right as it was too late-before she could scream a syllable of her friends name.

Her attacker jabbed the handheld taser straight into her side right above her hip and Belle’s voice broke into silent screams of horror as the volts broke through her body. The pain was incredible, the powerful surges instantly paralyzed her muscles and left her just gapping with an open mouth to flail against the unforgiving ground he pressed her against.

It felt like eternity with nothing but agony biting at every particle of her being.

After what was actually ten seconds of this hellish pain the man withdrew the overpowered taser from her ribs and left her to flop still upon the ground.

“I didn’t want to… have to… do that… _Fuck._ ”

Belle said nothing. Her mind was going around in circles, spinning and churning and burning as her whole body did, scorching and prickled as if she’d never move again. Saliva speckled the tiles from where she had gaped against the hard surface as well as her face that was scrunched up in momentary delirium.

However, she was still aware, even if she couldn’t quite move her body she was still there mentally. Fighting with every gasp of breath the weakened security guard held onto her consciousness as she pleaded with her body not to pass out from shock.

‘I’m not going to let him get away with this! I don’t want to die here! I won’t die here!’

“R… Rum…” Belle’s thoughts only managed to end up on one cohesive thought amongst the shambled nerves racing through her body. Surely he must have heard-surely he would come and save her from whatever else this person was going to do. “R… Rumple…”

“Oh shit-did she call out for someone? She's supposed to be alone!” There was a hand at her neck again, tightening around her throat and cutting off some of her air flow with the large fingers digging into her flesh. “Fuck! You’re going to tell me right now if someone else is here-”

_Clack..._

_Clack..._

The man stood up suddenly as well as released her roughly. She wasn’t sure what was going on now. The darkness overwhelmed her senses and she was fearing that perhaps she had lost her vision all together thanks to being blinded by the pain.

Clud! Clud!

A pair of boots were quickly stepping away from her.

Clud! Clud! Clud! Clud! Cl-

_**“AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH-”** _

There was suddenly screaming. Horrible, inhuman, ear piercing screaming that hit her eardrums so hard it felt as if it was deafening.

One word cleared the fog of her thoughts though despite the violent cry, for a joyous name that sent hope hammering through her heart spring forth.

_‘Rumple!’_

_“WHA-WHAT THE FUCKING CHRIST-”_ The man practically screamed with all his might and the sheer fear in his bellow along with the demon like screeching sparked life back into her fading mind.

The flashlight that had spun from her hands illuminated the hallway enough she could see the man dressed in black and a ski mask was quickly stepping backwards further into the darkness of the long hallway.

Clud! Clud! Clud!

**CLACK-CLACK-CLACK-CLACK-CLACK-CLACK-CLACK!**

_**“AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHH!”** _

Something flew past her, the mechanical imp to be specific. The scuffed recognizable boots blazed by her so fast she had little time to comprehend the intruders figure sprinting dead fast down the hall nor of the blurry streak that was Rumplestiltskin.

Her attacker was screaming shrilly and Belle blearily saw as she laid upon the ground the leather coated machine easily catch the shorter heftier figure in one fell swoop. The man was grabbed in one of Rumplestiltskin’s hands, held straight up in the air, and thrown harshly into the right wall, flying and colliding with enough force it shook the ceiling above them all.

 **“YOU FI-ILLL-LTH! YOU DISGUSTING FILTH! _AHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"_**  Rumplestiltskin roared. His booming voice sent shivers of dread to swarm through Belle’s body and cause twitching to stir her fingers. All she could do was watch this in gaping horror. 

He was just saving her right? He was going to get that guy to run off-right? _Right?!_

“WAIT PLEASE!” The intruder begged with flailing arms as Rumplestiltskin instantly rounded onto him. Another movement she hardly even saw had the machine grasping the man about the neck and bashing his face straight into the opposite wall from where he’d toss the man so easily into. The man emitted a cry of pain as Rumplestiltskin wrought him back like a rag doll and struck the mans face straight into the wall once more and then once more again. Each hit sent terror further and further etched into Belle’s face.

**“BELLE! YOU HURT HER! MY-FRIEND-BELLE! AHH-AHHHHHH! I’LL KILL YOU! I’LL FUCKING KILL YOU!”**

It was then that Belle saw the true state her friend had fallen into, with Rumplestiltskin’s profile revealed in in the dim light and jagged shadows. His eyes had gone dark save but a small pupil of yellow light just as he had been in his broken fit. His wide unnatural maw was wrenched open and the rotten looking razor sharp teeth in that abyss for a mouth were pointed towards the attacker as if to tear and render into the man.

In the disfiguring darkness and eerie glow, much to her growing horror, he truly did look like a monster.

 **“GONNA… R-RI-RI-IP YOU… APART…”** Rumplestiltskin oozed out, his electronic voice crackling and sparking as his mind seemed to be falling apart with how he twitched. The words that came from his mouth sounded if they held no value, robotic and drone like in every sense, and yet the way he held the mans face pressed right into the concrete wall said all the more different. **“GONNA… BREAK… EVERY BONE… IN YOUR BODY**... **”**

Then, there was a startling cracking sound. Belle flinched upon the ground hard enough to cry out her own sound of fear in reaction.

The man in Rumplestiltskin’s grip instantly started wailing and was dropped to the floor to squirm in agony as he clutched at his left arm.

Somehow the tables had turned dramatically for the intruder-more than he probably ever imaged. The man attempted to get up, to escape, but it was futile. Rumplestiltskin kicked out a leg so fast his prey had no time to react. Another crack resounded from the hit, the metal limb colliding straight with the mans chest in a brutal manner. The intruder collapsed to the floor in a curled heap, and Belle heard him gag and wheeze while she managed to get her arms moving and prop herself up from the ground.

“Rum...ple!" Belle hoarsely screamed, but the sound was barely audible. The yellow pinprick dots for eyes didn’t look her way, they were only focused on the man broken and breaking by his feet. “RUMPLE! STOP! Please…That’s… Enough!” She felt tears pooling at her eyes as she begged her voice to break through the distance and reach the mechanical fiend who stared in clenched torment at his prey.

Rumplestiltskin wasn’t smiling maliciously, wasn’t laughing or screaming in glee as he towered over her attacker and broke him down. In fact he looked like he was suffering in this rage that was not him-this beast that was not the Rumple she knew.

A sickness overwhelmed her, the urge to vomit rising in the back of her throat the longer she looked at him and the scene before her. Shakily and with misery throbbing in her arms she got to her knees, pushing her muscles farther than they should go after being tasered. At this point she was sure the only reason she was still going was the absolute adrenaline pounding through her heart.

“P-please… Stop…” The man wheezed, the tears he was shedding were practically audible through out the entire building.

‘This is too much! At this rate he-he’ll kill him!’ Belle thought in wild panic, her eyes wide and frozen upon the animatronic who himself was starring at the man, stock still for a split second.

 **“STOP-STOP-STOP HE BEGS-BEGS-BEGS-AAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!”** Rumplestiltskin screeched again and lifted the man up by his throat once more, this time crushing those clawed fingers into the tender flesh beneath the line of the ski mask. The mans breath was broken and gasping for air as Rumplestiltskin continued to yell in the abstract voice that was not the one she knew. **“I FUCKIN’ BEGED AND BEGED AND BEGED-NO-NO-STOP! STOP STOP!”** Rumplestiltskin’s rage suddenly broke into something that sent pain tearing through her heart. 

He was visibly shaking, the rattle of his body nearly overbearing the mans sputtering gasps. **“STOP SCREAMING-PLEASE STOP SCREAMING-IT’S SO LOUD! MAKE IT STOP!”**

Belle got to her feet, nearly toppling over before she managed to forcefully throw some of her strength into her voice.

“RUMPLESTILTKSIN! PLEASE! STOP THIS ISN’T YOU! JUST LET HIM GO!”

With a crank of his head Rumplestiltskin looked towards her and Belle had to fight the urge to run from this sudden diversion of attention, directly towards her. The pinpoint yellow dots peered back at her, lifeless, soulless, making him look every bit that terrible monstrous machine he claimed that he was.

“IT’S ME… ALWAYS… HAS BEEN… IT’S ME… IT’S ME…” Rumplestiltskin mumbled in short sharp words. His head began drooping and lulling as the little dots rolled up to the top of his head while his wiry hair spilled across his face. The man’s gasping was no longer audible at this point but suddenly the animatronics grip loosened and the intruder fell to the floor in a heavy pile. He didn’t get up right away, he laid there still and silent. 

Belle knew that there was only two conclusions to this-that the man was either unconscious… Or dead.

Belle shivered harshly as she realized that now the only two people truly in the room were her and ‘it’.

Rumplestiltskin kept muttering, broken little things that didn’t make a lick of sense and Belle felt the tears well up again with the simple fact she didn’t know what to do. She was the one trembling in place now, both from the pain and from how scared she was of all of this. The animatronic was faulting or had some failure of sorts-that was all Belle could think of to try to make heads or tails of her friends actions.

‘He is broken and he’s not safe to be around! Run away! RUN AWAY! OR HE’LL KILL YOU TOO!’ Her mind screamed at her frantically and she was about to oblige it’s pleadings but something kept her in place. The only thing keeping her from bolting out of Avonlea was a building sobbing sound coming from within the metal beast.

Rumplestiltskin was crying out loud. Not that he could produce tears but the sound coming from him could be nothing else- _he was sobbing_. Belle kept her gaze with his eyes but glanced a moment to see his segmented shoulders shaking with the wracks of his cries while his jaw hung open wide. Sadness wrought in his features and the crinkles of his artificial skin.

“IT’S ME… BELLE…”

An idea sparked in her mind through the haze of fear. For some reason the silly little notion that seemed horribly pointless to this situation seemed to be her only possible means to stop this. She had to bring Rumplestiltskin back, it was clear he was still there even now, but she wasn’t sure how to calm him-but this idea! This might be her only way!

Steadying her quivering body and holding her ground Belle opened her mouth and breathed a few shaky breaths while the machine stood staring at her before taking a wobbly step her direction.

“BELLE…”

Belle opened her mouth and began to sing the wordless melody her dark sorcerer had taught her.

The song she did not know the name of-as did neither the machine shuffling on unsteady feet towards her, drifted through the suddenly thick silence from within her. Her lower feminine pitch suited the tune quite well but the eerie child like piece stifled the air about them, hauntingly filling in the emptiness.

Rumplestiltskin stopped to stare at her unblinking and unmoving as she sang some of the foreboding tune that seemed to enchant the mechanical fiend before her. The whole idea had come to her because of the fact he so frequently hummed this tune to himself while he was unaware and it seemed to ease his worries away.

Then when she restarted the tune to its beginning again, hoping she’d reached him or at least stalled for some extra time his voice joined hers. His odd lit became showy, twisting the words he spoke as if it was an amusing performance.

“For-ty-Four La-za-rus walked to their tomb…” Belle’s eyes widened, his words matching with the verse perfectly while he began to reach his hands up towards his head. Were these the actual words or was he in this unstable state making them up altogether? “Zero-One- AAaaaa-… Zero… One… Aaaa… was…”

His words trailed off, confusion apparent with how he snarled and clenched his jaw back with the rest of his head, grimacing tightly as if he truly was in pain. “ZERO ONE-A-A-A… A-…AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!”

Rumplestiltskin then spun from her and threw himself at the nearby wall before she had time to react. With a loud clatter he bashed his own skull into the thick sturdy structure, his cries bouncing and echoing all around them, breaking the serenity that had momentarily won out.

“AAAAAAAAAAH! LET ME OUT! PLEASE! LET!” Bracing his segmented hands upon the wall he gave another slam of his metal head, striking hard enough it rung in the air, “ME!” And another bash, “OUT! LET ME OUT! LET ME OUT!” Belle covered her mouth with both hands, stuck right in her spot as she witnessed the machine violently whirl himself against the wall time and time again.

Once again she was terrified but now this terror was not at him but for him. ‘This has to stop-I can’t let him go on like this!’

She moved before she had any true idea to what she was doing. The fear and horror was suddenly lost upon her to the concern for the breaking creature before her. All her bets were being placed on her acting on her fleeting bravery-rushing head first into the scene in hopes that she wouldn’t end up like the man plastered and bloodied on the ground.

Belle flung herself with the last of her remaining strength straight into the animatronic man.

He instantly toppled with her but Belle wasn’t crushed underneath him. Somehow he had turned and fell hard onto his back in some quick manner. The metal of his body rung loud in the air along with clattering of his innards but he lay flat against the tiles, unmoving. The security guard who was twitching and shaking lay on top of him, not scrambling back or fleeing in terror simply because of how bad her body still hurt.

“Rumple-Stop this-please!” She begged, the tears being held up spilt down her cheeks as she nestled her face into the crook of his neck. There was a faint warmth there, the heat he had always produced had gone ice cold otherwise. “You’re not a killer! You’re not a monster-don’t act like one! I’m okay! We’re okay!”

“Hurt-Hurting… You were hurt… No… My Belle…” He sobs underneath her, she feels his jaw against her head, and the images of him breaking his teeth breaking through the bone and into her brain like her dream yesterday afternoon frighten her. Despite being terrified of dying right there with him digging his jaw into her head she clung to him, gripping hard enough into his leather coat that her knuckles were going white.

“Belle… Belle… Hurts… It hurts…”

Something moved from the corner of her eye, and as Belle whipped her head to look up. It was the man lying on the floor shuffling to his feet, still very much living though it seemed it was taking a lot for him to do such a simple feat. ‘He’s alive! Oh no-what do I do now?’ The fleeting sense of joy in her heart vanished when the machine beneath her noticed too.

 **“AAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH!”** The metal shriek rung in the air.

“NO!” Belle screamed and curled around Rumplestiltskin, his flat hands were now hovering over her back as if to tear her off him-but they never touched her, not even once. His jaw clattered and clanked together as he began to growl and cry that inhuman screech, those dots for eyes flickering in and out. “NO I WON’T LET YOU! RUMPLE! PLEASE!”

The man looked back to them, half of his mask was torn revealing part of a face she sworn she’d seen before. Wait-she had! It was the man-the man from the party those weeks ago! He stared in wide eyed gaping terror at Belle and the machine, grasping at his throat as if it were unable to properly breath at all.

“GO! RUN!” She bellowed at him, closing her eyes with how hard the machine under her was thrashing-trying to free himself from her hold. “GET OUT OF HERE!”

Belle closed her eyes and listened to the ‘clud’ of the mans footsteps dash unevenly down the hall and then a few moments later the back door slam wide open.

The alarm went off instantly, screeching from its distance enough that it pierced her ears and caused the pain in her skull to blossom further.

Slowly the writhing and failing underneath her stopped and she loosened her hold on the imp very carefully. “Oh… Belle…” Rumplestiltskin muttered and she opened her eyes to see one of his eyes had gone back to its normal giant size. “Oh… Belle… What… Are you okay…”

“It’s over R-Rumple…” She stammers and he attempts to sit up with her on top of him, slowly reaching a hand towards her face.

“He hurt you-I heard you scream-you screamed in pain! It was so loud-the screaming! How bad are you hurt? My dearest-no… My dearest… ” Belle turned her head slightly when he sought to caress her bruised and scrapped skin, she shivered at the thought of him touching her at this moment and that fear grew ten times fold.

His clawed hand hovering near her face, aiming to comfort and cup her skin was covered in sticky dark blood.

The animatronic took notice as well.

“Oh no-oh no! Oh no!” He began to echo himself and Belle saw both of his eyes flicker back to the normal ones she had grown so used to seeing, the comforting yellow amber orbs that still didn’t help stop the fear consuming her. “I didn’t hurt you did I? BELLE! I DIDN’T HURT YOU DID I?” He withdraws his hand, staring at the smear of red on his finger tips in silent panic.

Belle shook her head ‘no’ but the way she trembled hardly made it noticeable.

“You only hurt him-that guy but… Were you going to k-kill him…”

“G-Go!” He bellowed and Belle stumbled back off him, falling to the floor on hands an knees as he rose to his feet hastily. It was then that Belle realized staring into his face which was distorted by the darkness again that he was absolutely terrified too.

“Rumple-I’m…” She attempted to try to say anything, as she stood, but nothing could form, nothing that made sense.

“Stay away!” He cried, holding out his hands, the blood of the man still smeared upon all his digits which made him recoil from himself. Yet there was no escaping himself, no escaping what he had done. “You were right! I was going to kill him! Aaaaaaaaah-I was going to! I was going to rip his throat right-right-right out with my teeth! I wanted to!”

Belle steps back and the small measure of distance helps compose the painful beating of her heart.

It only makes Rumplestiltskin stop in his fit of agony.

He looks at her, wide eyes pinpointed on her and Belle shivers under his gaze, horrified at herself that all she wants to do is run away from him. How could she not? After seeing him go berserk like that! He just admitted he was going to kill that man!

“You’re afraid of me…” He keened, sounding like a wounded animal. “Belle-I’m-I’m… I wouldn’t ever…”

The security guard could hardly focus on the situation at hand with the alarm still screeching in the background. Reality seeps back into her mind, bring her back down from the adrenaline high. At any moment the police, more than likely Sherif Graham, would be pulling up right to their back door looking for answers. How could she explain this situation to them at all?

Rumplestiltskin would be seen-and then what would happen? He’d be reported. He’d be taken away-studied? Torn apart? Or simply taken to be scraped and broken down like he had meant to be years ago. Could she protect him if it came to that-one small woman who couldn’t even fend herself from a man who had easily outsmarted her?

She had to make a move, had to stop and bite back the terror surging in her veins for right now. All emotions shut down as reason won out.

“R-Rumplestiltskin,” She stated his full name harshly, which was so unlike herself. It was necessary. “Go back to your hide away. The police will be here any moment if I don’t stop them ahead of time. You can’t be seen, they can’t know you’re here. If they do I don’t know if I can keep you safe.”

He stared sadly at her and Belle trembled some more, feeling drained and tired and just wanting this horrible nightmare to be over. She just wanted to wake up and find this was nothing more than a dream like before-she’d laugh about it and go about her normal everyday life. This was real though and no wishful thinking could change that.

It frustrated her now, when he didn’t seem to realize what she was asking-what was happening. “You have to go! Now!” She bellowed and pointed to the darkness, pleading with him to understand that she was trying to protect him if the worst was to happen.

Rumplestiltskin looked as if he were to speak, the way his lips trembled and how his eyes pleaded with her. The imp took a step forward, hand lifting out towards her and Belle recoiled, taking several steps back. She didn’t know what was going on in his mind-didn’t know if that awful monstrous portion of him would flicker back to life at any second. The blood on his claws still remained after all.

She felt awful, truly horrible when the thought passed. She felt like an apathetic creature herself, treating him like this 'broken beast' but she didn’t want him near her. Not right now at least.

Rumplestiltskin said nothing, just gazed at her with horror and grief stricken eyes before he sharply turned and began to shuffle back to the maintenance room. There was no time to watch him disappear in the dark. 

Quickly Belle turned, nearly toppling over herself from how bad her legs hurt as she made it to the back door to stop the alarm. Pressing the code quickly, she managed to get the insistent screech of the alarm to quit it’s whining and she let out a shaky breath of relief. Still, she could hear the phone in her office ringing now, no doubt the police trying to reach her to see what caused the alarm.

Belle made it to the phone before the last ring and picked it up, nearly dropping it in her haste.

“Ms. French?” Emma Swan’s voice breached the phone line and Belle took just a second to ponder why. Oh-yes, she became the deputy here, hadn’t she. “This is Ms. Swan, is everything all right? We got notice at the police station about an alarm going off at Avonlea-”

“Yeah! Yes?” Belle fumbled, trying to decide if truth or lies were what she needed in this situation. The truth, even half the truth-no way! How could she explain having beaten off an attacker when she had been harshly attacked, hit, and tasered in succession. “I went out to my car and I guess the door didn’t close properly-next thing I knew the alarm was going off. I stopped it as fast as I could-I’m so sorry if I caused any trouble.”

Emma was silent a moment. “Are you sure? Graham is out and about, do you want me to have him come and check up on you? He can be there in three minutes easily.”

“Oh no, no, I’m fine. Got startled good but otherwise I’m fine.”

“Okay then. I’m going to write this all down for the report though… Are you sure everything is fine?” She seemed adamant and Belle wondered if somehow even over the phone she knew she was lying. Here she was again giving another lie that made her feel even more nauseous.

“Perfectly fine.” She spoke as the tears rolled down her cheeks in quiet relief.

Emma took a bit more information from her, and then after saying good bye and that in the morning she’d would check up on the place, they hung up. Belle managed to get the phone back onto the receiver with a rather loud clash that had her quickly turning towards the closed door, trembling.

There was no sound outside, no shuffle of feet or clatter of metal, but she walked over grabbed the lock and turned it. It was to keep her safe, she reasoned, just incase.

But she knew the truth, it stung so much deeper than she expected.

It was locked to keep ‘him’ out.

Belle flicked on the lamp light as well, illuminating the entire office in a too bright sheen. Even doing this she wasn’t comforted at all with just the lock and the door protecting her from the outside world. Moving the chair aside, the young woman crawled under the desk and curled up upon herself, nursing the swelling bruise on her cheek from it's harsh hit on the floor.

Then, she began to sob, letting her tears rush forward as she huddled against herself in the small little space. Sitting like that for several minutes helped ease all the emotions overwhelming her, but the fear spiked back again when she heard a sound drift through the building, all the way to her locked down office. Straining her ears, Belle covered her mouth so she could figure out what the sound truly was.

Did he come back-the attacker? What if he or someone else broke back in? Or was Rumplestiltskin dashing down the darkness towards her door? Would he be slamming into the wood any minute, screeching and screaming as he had before?

Faintly she could hear it, the echoing sound becoming more clear when she focused on it...

It was the sound of Rumplestiltskin wailing in the darkness.

The tears poured forth then, relentless in their flow, as Belle pulled her knees up to her chest and cried along side the machine whose pain rung out sharply through every hall. 


	12. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Belle is unable to return to Avonlea after the horrific attack and scene that had occurred in its dark halls. Her new founded fear of the mechanical man she calls friend overwhelms her-yet, she finds that she cares for him more than fears him, and she can’t abandon him. Not ever.

Four days now. It’s been four days since the incident.

Since then Belle has not gone back inside Avonlea.

But now, right now, she stands outside Avonlea for the second time in these four long days. The wind is blowing slightly, brushing the grass around her feet as well as tugging at her thin jacket and thus causing a small shiver to travel up her spine. Yet those hard blue eyes don’t glance away from the good distance between her and the welcoming painted brick of Avonlea, they focus on the happy looking building with a sorrowful intensity.

That morning, four days ago, after the man broke in, attacked her, and Rumplestiltskin had nearly killed him in that rage she could not understand, she’d been left in a bit of a mess. Luck favored both her and the machine in that there was nothing broken in the hall where the scuffle occurred. The concrete walls in the back had no noticeable marks from the horrifying scene nor was there any blood spattered about either of them or the floor-save the trails of red running down Rumplestiltskin’s hands… 

Mr. Getto had arrived early to Avonlea that morning after getting a call from the police to notify him to the ‘accident’ and Belle apologized profusely to him for her ‘mistake’ of leaving the back door open. The kind older man seemed more concerned if she was okay than the silly building nor about scolding her, and the sickness curling in her stomach only worsened.

She left as soon as she could after that, it took everything she had to not wrack and shake in fear-to reveal her inner turmoil. Belle simply could no longer handle being stuck in that building that seemed to want to swallow her up and crush her between it’s walls as if they were it’s teeth.

Friday afternoon she called in sick to work, both Avonlea and her library position in Boston which was yet another lie.

Her spare days went about outwardly normal, as if she’d never witnessed the nightmarish scene or at least that’s what it appeared to be to anyone she came across. That bright smile of hers never faltered even duringlunch with her father, or when she returned to work in Boston as well as with the casual greetings of the people of Storybrooke. The bruise on her face was easily explained as carelessness on her part, due to her tripping and landing face first out in the parking lot thanks to an untied shoe lace. Everyone took it for truth, no one seemed to question these things at all.

All lies, it was all just more lies.

Belle absolutely hated lying. Though she managed to get away with fooling everyone around her there was no way she could fool herself. Sleep was hard to come by so there was no denial of everything she had endured. It seemed every time she managed to drowse off or fight the fear flittering through her chest her mind was filled only with horrific visions of the animatronic man and the person who had broke in and practically beaten her.

Belle continuously dreamt of the man who broke into Avonlea, repeating that situation in her own imaginary home, always in these he was coming after her for what had happened to him. Screaming and trying to fight him was useless in these terrors and she felt the fear from then surge into her mind as if it was truly really happening once again. Then suddenly she would no longer be strangled by her would be attacker-no. It was shift harshly in an instant. Now she was in someones sturdy arms as well as being held closely to a warmth that she desperately longed for to burrow into and escape the hell before her.

This comfort was ruined with the blood suddenly coating her arms and the face of the person she called dearest friend looking like it did. Her sweet Rumplestiltskin looked down at her, not with his large warm amber eyes but with those horrible pin point dots in pitch black of his sockets along with a maw smeared in the bloody remains of her attacker who lied torn and dead around them.

These horrific images startled her awake in a cold damp bed. Belle was left to nurse her damaged mind alone in her room and stuck with the option to avoid falling asleep for a good while so she would not have to endure anymore.

But she also dreamt of things that left her waking with streams of tears running down her face as equally painful. She dreamt of Rumplestiltskin being found by Mr. Getto and August because of her-because she was not brave enough or quick enough to stop them from figuring out her lies. He’d tried to escape but had been cornered and then surrounded by the police and townsfolk much to her horror. They, in their anger and fear, took hammers and cutters and all sorts of instruments and began breaking him apart while he begged for his life.

The worst was hearing Rumplestiltskin scream in her own head, the agony wrenching out of his voice left her wishing it was her instead but worst of all he was him crying out for her.

_‘Belle! BELLE! PLEASE! HELP ME! IT HURTS-AHHHH- IT HURTS!’_

All the young powerless woman could do was stand back frozen behind the horrid crowd that broke and bashed his head in, splintering metal and wires till there was nothing whole-till he screamed no more. In the end she would see his shambled ‘corpse’ hollow and lifeless and sob till she awoke from her own real tears.

These dreams told her what she knew already enough without them. It was that Belle cared for Rumplestiltskin deeply-utterly and yet this growing fear of him also was holding her down and keeping her from going back to Avonlea. No true rest would come her way unless she confronted him and this made her panicked heart become somewhat sturdy once again.

So, that Sunday afternoon she attempted to return. The security guard stood outside of Avonlea after parking her car in the front parking lot and readying herself for the confrontation. The sun brushed against her and warmed her skin when it came across her fair flesh, but the icy cold hands of fear gripped her too hard and kept it at bay.

Images of being chased down by the dark clad figure-the man in the beanie whom she had known from the get go had been up to no good, consumed her mind. It replayed the attack, his hits, her being tasered and left to suffer on the cold floor in agony. Then… Rumplestiltskin’s eyes… The horrible things he screamed, the awful song… The carnage and rage in him had her feet stepping back instead of forward.

Belle was ashamed when instead of going inside or even near the front door, she hopped back into her car and drove away.

‘Coward. How can you be such a coward? You talk about being brave and yet you run like the pathetic little girl you can’t ever escape being.’ Her own mind taunted her for the rest of the day and that’s when, lying upon her bed and head tucked into her pillow, Belle knew there would be no running away from this.

Now on Monday morning she stands from Avonlea just a few street corners away, staring at the building that’s facade looked friendly and inviting and yet only harbored a sense of dread for the security guard. She had her space well enough now though and the intense paranoia causing the pitter patter of her heart to rocket off in her chest was finally dimming away.

“Rumple…” Belle whispered out loud, despite being completely alone in this field, and no doubt looking absolutely absurd to the few cars passing down the street. “I’m afraid, what you did-what happened to me… But even if I’m scared… I don’t want to leave you there alone. What do I do? What should I do? Hell what can I even do to help him?” While clenching at one side of her jacket Belle thought of her options. She could easily quit her part time position and find some other work, she knew she could find more in Boston for sure. If she did that everything would be fine-all of this, Avonlea, that night, the animatronic, could disappear from her life. It’s not like Rumplestiltskin could even hold her up to her end of the deal they had made, she could leave and not look back and he could do nothing about it.

The saddest part was that she knew he wouldn’t even beg or try to stop her, after the way she looked at him…

Yet, those thoughts so poisonous and sickening fell away to her true feelings. “I could never do that to him because I don’t want to loose him! I don’t even want to leave!” Belle felt the tears pool at her eyes again and she gritted her teeth. She was becoming so sick and tired of crying. 

‘I care about Rumplestiltskin-far too much to just abandon him like that. Even if we didn’t have a deal, he’s still my friend-’

**_‘BELLE! YOU HURT HER! MY-FRIEND-BELLE!’_ **

Belle let herself pause at that thought, recollecting those words that the animatronic had screamed during his rage and pain filled fit. Her eyes widened while she tried to understand why such a thought would come to her now. Another burst of wind broke over her suddenly and she pulled her jacket even tighter around her chilled form.

‘He called me friend, I know he did… Even through that _anger_. It wasn’t about him enjoying hurting someone, no Rumplestiltskin isn’t like that. He tried to protect me and he didn’t know how to react… He cares about me-he truly does! Though there’s something in him-something terrible and dark, but if he’s just left to rot alone in that damn place how can anything get better? How can he ever find somewhere to be in this world if no one tries to help him!’

Belle’s heart began to beat so painfully she had to gasp in order to properly breathe. ‘Rumplestiltskin is suffering alone, just like me when… Just like mother did…’

It was happening again, she was loosing someone else towards the monstrous shape of isolation and doing absolutely nothing about it. No. No it wouldn’t be like that, never again would she loose someone like that.

‘Even if the world rejects him, I won’t. I’ve seen the good in him and there is so much of it… No one should suffer alone-I won’t let him.’ Belle felt the pain simmer back down when her heart fell in line with this task that had to be done. There was no way now that she was going to run, she wasn’t even going to entertain the idea the slightest. This left her to wonder so much about things she didn’t quite understand, especially towards the mechanical man she’d been coming to care for far too much.

How could in such a short amount of time her life be completely changed by him? She’d known him for two and a half months and already the thought of never seeing him again made her chest ache. Never in her life had she met anyone-anything like him nor had she met someone who had shown interest in her beyond her physical appearance and expectations of her. He thought she could do anything she put herself up to, even though he thought her ‘odd’, ‘unique’, ‘peculiar’, or the ever so titled ‘troublesome-knight’ he never said she was doing anything foolish or unbecoming.

He really thought of her like she was a human being with her own thoughts and feelings and dreams though he knew so little of them… Then again, she knew so little of his. What passions or desires did Rumplestiltskin have? If he thought, acted out in kindness, and cared-how much different from a flesh and blood human was he?

It didn’t matter now, not his metal form or his mysterious existence or even the blood coating his fingertips for her to see alongside those terrible eyes that haunted her in the depths of her dreams. 

He had treated her as a ‘real’ human being and it was only fair she do the same for him.

—————

It’s Monday night just a little before midnight and sure enough despite the odds stacked against the return of the current security guard, as Avonlea has seen many appear and disappear just as quick, the back door opens. It groans against the weight of tonights only employee while allowing moonlight to filter through and permeate the darkness.

Belle manages to keep the shivering at bay, so her keys don’t jangle loudly in her hands as she locks the door up and rearms the security alarm. With the moon light already gone the building’s darkness seems more ominous tonight than it has before, even before that fifth night when she had finally met the other creature who walked and roam the halls at this hour.

Avonlea creaks and ticks quietly as she walks down the dark hall briskly to her office. Besides the pop of pipes and the foundation settling there is no other sound than her own speedy steps and sharp breath. Settling into her office just as she usually does, Belle sets her bag down without unloading what little she has inside and turns the useless tablet on despite it no doubt playing the same short segmented loop of video right at closing over and over again.

The swivel chair creeks with her added weight and disturbs the silence just for a moment.

Now, she is left to do only one thing-wait. And she waits, and waits, and waits with baited breath all while staring at the door to her office..

Three hours go by into the night and the security guard in her usual uniform does not move from her chair during that entire time. The halls remain dead silent and no ‘clacking’ foot steps ever echo down towards her door nor does she hear the usual ‘hum’ of him and his odd nameless melody. It’s now she realizes much to her growing stress that he’s not coming- or has no intention to.

Belle feels tired. Overall these last four days she’s been worn out emotionally and physically but the anger simmering in her skin starts to burn deeper than before, it replaces the fear, the guilt, the hurt with it’s consuming flame.

“Rumplestiltskin!” She shouts as she stands up harshly from her seat-nearly knocking it over. Her voice echoes through the open space slightly but a minute goes by followed by another, and nothing happens. “You know I’m here! You always know! Please, stop hiding and come show yourself!” There’s no point in waiting in her dull little office, so lifeless and cold without company much to her dismay, and she figures in her growing irritation (masking the pain) that she’ll have to simply go find him.

Belle grabs her flashlight, fights off the anxiety from stepping into the bleak black halls, and begins her search. 

The first stop gives her nothing, he’s not hiding away in his tiny space nor in the maintenance room but she somehow expected that. Room after room she pads up to, opens and inspects, but each are empty of the animatronic. She checks the closets even, behind the stage, everywhere she can possibly think of and yet there is not a single sign of the leather clad imp. Part of her worries that he might have possibly made a rash move and ran from Avonlea in his grief but the small voice within coos and states that she’s never seen him leave Avonlea and doubts he would leave without the intention of return.

Then again… Has he ever even left Avonlea?

There wasn’t any time to think about that right now, though she wonders about it as she searches. Proof of what the little voice whispered appears before her when she enters the break room in her search and notices something so small and trivial that no one else but her would probably even take into consideration.

Prickle, their silly cactus with it’s named taped onto it’s orange ceramic pot, has been watered today and very recently. She has forgotten about the silly cactus in all together the last four days but much to her surprise and building tears, he hasn’t. The soil is soft and wet to the touch on the top as her fingers trail as close to the barbed plant they possibly can without being pricked.

“Please stop hiding from me. I-I’m not afraid of you Rumple, truly I’m not.” Belle pleads in the dark while wiping at her eyes which were growing misty once more. No one replies to her pathetic pleas. “Why are you ignoring me now? It’s not like I don’t know you’re here! I just want to talk to you, make sure you’re okay…”

The security guard lets her built up emotions tumble free and turns to a break room chair near her and pushes it to the floor, letting it clatter loudly against the ground. The rage simmers down a bit with the aggressive act but she feels instantly guilty for abusing the chair, she sets it back to proper order practically apologizing to the plastic and metal object.

It gives her an idea, however pointless and not as thought out as it might be.

“If you don’t come out here I swear I’ll break all this precious stuff you claim to protect! In fact, hell, I’ll just use my position as an advantage and maybe even steal some stuff myself! There’s no one here to stop me here after all, no one who will show their face at least!”

Nothing, the same response she’s gotten all night. She fumes further. It was a stupid attempt at rousing him and making him emerge from hiding out, he knows her better than that-he’ll call her bluff.

With that continual silence looming back at her, something snaps within the security guard. Belle rushes out of the break room, down into the hall, and straight into the kitchen, planning on doing something absolutely ridiculous but she’s hardly rational at this point and time. In both hands she hefts a large pot and a large steel pan from within one of the cabinets and carries them back out into the main space of the party floor. The ever loyal flash light of her’s is set on the ground standing up right to cast its light as she readies herself.

The young woman swings her arms and bashes the two pieces of cookware together.

‘ **KLANG! KLANG! KLANG!’**

She feels like a child, a child throwing a tantrum but she doesn’t stop. It feels good to release everything within her in this manner. The clashing pot and pans loudly bounce and echo around Avonlea till her arms finally get too tired to continue on and she has to drop them along with herself to the cold tiled floor. As the reverberations die out she is left to hearing her heavy breaths while she pants from the several minutes of throwing her arms and smashing metal against metal. 

‘God,’ Belle thought to herself as she panted and her arms trembled from overuse. ‘I know he’s probably hurting too but how can I help him if he won’t even be brave enough to face me…’

“You’re… Such a… Coward.” Belle shouted tiredly to the darkness, feeling her anger and frustration overtake her rash and normally calm judgement again. Fire burns brightly within her and she wants nothing more than to put it out and start fresh and clean, but she can’t manage that if her friend-who was treating her so cruelly now wouldn’t even come and face her. “I hope you heard me! You’re a coward Rumplestiltskin! For a machine and all your bravado you put on you are… An absolute COWARD!”

In her anger she picks up the pot lying next to her and aims to toss it recklessly at anything at all. It’s weight burdens her arm and just as she’s about to throw it she’s stopped.

Cold, a bitterly cold hand suddenly came to grip her raised arm and keep her from launching the cookware outright. Fear shoots up her spine at the touch but she instantly knows who is behind her and keeping her from lashing out.

“Stop this right now- _please_.” Rumplestiltskin’s voice begs in nearly a whisper right behind her head. Before Belle can even retaliate he’s already let his loose grip of her go, leaving her arm to drop limp beside her.

Belle drops the pot immediately and quickly stumbles to stand on her feet. Turning on the balls of them she confronts the animatronic she has been attempting to hunt down all night long. 

Rumplestiltskin stands before her just the same as he’d always been and yet his fake amber eyes look heavier than she’d ever seem them. His wild hair is even more wild right now in it’s mess, casting his face half in shadows of wiry tangled locks. These shadows distorted his features from the bleak light of her flashlight as well as from his glowing eyes which peeled back the eerie darkness.

“Why… Why have you been hiding from me? Y-You’re trying to avoid me again.” Belle accuses him out right and she sees him falter slightly while he’s stepping back. It appears he’s already planning on leaving when he turns on his feet to shuffle back into the thick darkness around them and this makes the young woman see nothing but red.

He walks a few paces away but Belle reaches down, grabs the metal pot she was meaning to toss, and instead of throwing it randomly to quell her burning rage she tosses it right at him. The cookware ‘clonks’ loudly against his back when it hits and does so again when it bounces across the floor to roll to a stop near a dinning table. The animatronic stops in his place just as it had hit him, his dark scuffed boots came to stand neatly side by side.

Belle fells a surge of fear thrum through her a split second, worried she might have crossed some line, but she stands her ground while brushing back her own wild hair that has fallen into shambles around her face.

The imp turns his head slightly on it’s pivot, enough she can see part of his yellow orb for an eye and his tightly closed jaw. His usual playful voice is not apparent when he speaks, it’s cold and harsh, worse than she’s ever heard from him. 

“ _Go home, dearie._ Both you and I know you shouldn’t be here anymore.”

‘What?’ Belle feels her rage quiver in her chest as he seems content to just turn away again. “Y-You bastard! How dare you tell me where I should or shouldn’t be! As if you have any right to say such a thing. Why are you acting like such a-such a heartless beast!”

The words fall out of her mouth faster than she realizes and the last syllable slips out before she actually understands what she’s just said.

He stops completely and turns halfway back to her, eyes wide and alarmed as he stares her straight down. His usually flittering hands, ever kneading and pulling at things she can’t see, lie still by his side and this motionless version of the being she’s grown to care about frightens her more than she likes to admit.

“I-I’m sorry.” Belle says despite knowing she shouldn’t. He’s the one who should be apologizing for ignoring her and treating her like she wasn’t even worth a single ounce of his time of day-even after all they’ve gone through. “That was more cruel than what you deserve.”

“No, don’t be-it’s true.” He replies with an emotionless tone just like his suddenly void face. Facing her completely now stirred her worry but Rumplestiltskin didn’t make any move to walk closer to her. 

“You’ve seen first hand why I myself shouldn’t be here at all. Why I can’t even be with you human beings or near your kind. Surely it’s been haunting you for days now, the way I easily tossed the man who attacked you around as if he were nothing but a rag doll. How about I tell you how easy it was I broke his arm? Just a snap of my wrist was all it took.” 

He raises his segmented hand and pretends to clench something and with a simple swirl he makes a fake cracking sound that startles her. “I broke several of his ribs as well or at least fractured them with my kick-and his neck. He’ll have scars for life after how hard I punctured his flesh with my claws.”

“Why…” Belle stammers, trying to wrap her head around why he was explaining this when she’d witnessed it all. “Why are you telling me this? I saw all of that horrific scene, isn’t that enough?”

“No, it must not be enough if you chose to come back here! What will be enough to show you how truly monstrous I am?” Rumplestiltskin suddenly bellowed towards her, taking another step forward that had her skittering back several steps of her own. His mouth hangs slightly agape-exposing the metal jagged teeth lining the metal of his jaw, he looks almost like a deadly animal with his unnatural eyes and hunched figure. “See-you’re afraid of me right now! Good! That’s good, you’ve finally come to understand then.”

“Why are you trying to run me off so badly Rumple?” Belle asks with tears threatening to spill from her eyes now, the rage in her heart is being damped by this sudden cruelty that is not him…Or perhaps it has and she’s been too blind to see it. “I don’t understand-I know I’m afraid but just because I’m scared doesn’t mean I’m going to go scurrying off from you now.”

He growls, a terrible low pitched crackle of noise, at this and his hands clench into fists while he seems to radiate some type of anger that shakes his entire steel frame.

“You’re not safe here! Get away from me Ms. French! Go away! Leave this place!” Rumplestiltskin unclenches his hands as he raises them up to grab at his head, pulling at his hair while his wild eyes clattered about in his skull. “Or do you want me to c-cr-rush you to a bloody pulp? It’d be so easy for me to do it! Y-y-you humans are all so weak and frail! E-easy to break! I could snap your neck without even blinking! I could tear your innards out with one thrust of my h-h-an-nd! I can do all these horrible things and not bat an eye!”

Belle steps back away again, her eyes wide with terror as she sees one of his eyes flicker to a yellow pinpoint dot. It clear now he’s faulting once more, loosing control of whatever it is that operates his body and mind.

However, it’s not enough to have her running , no, she steels herself and keeps her trembling legs locked in place.

“You couldn’t do any of that-not out of any desire to at least. When we first met you told me just that. I know that moment, with the man who attacked me,” She watched him flinch hard and clamp his gaping mouth tightly closed, looking pained at just the mention of what happened. “You weren’t yourself and it’s true-the Rumplestiltskin I know doesn’t want to hurt anyone!” Belle shouted back, spreading her own arms out wide. “You were scared in that moment, we were both scared and didn’t know how to react-but you’re not a murderer and you’re not a monster! Please Rumple, I can help you or at least get you help so we can help fix this-”

“Shut up!” Rumplestiltskin screeched his voice half human sounding and half mechanical. Belle’s voice cuts off as she watched him curl into himself, a mass of quivering metal draped in human clothes. “Shut the hell up!”

“I care about you despite all that’s happened-you’re my friend after all. Why won’t you believe me!” Belle felt a tear peel down her cheek as she took a wavering step forwards to him. Even if she was afraid, she wasn’t going to be afraid of him, not any longer and not when it was so obvious he was hurting more than she had imagined.

The imp suddenly stood up straight and tall, sending her back yet again several steps. A livid look encompassed his features and the creases of his face as pinpoint eyes stared straight through her, pinning her weak flesh and bones straight to the floor where she stood.

“NO ONE-NO ONE COULD EVER CARE FOR ME! NO ONE SHOULD! I AM A MACHINE-JUST ANOTHER CONTRAPTION MEANT TO BE DESTROYED BY THE HANDS OF THOSE WHO MADE ME! I’M SOMETHING THAT SHOULDN’T EXIST-A BROKEN TOY FOR YOU HUMANS. I AM A MONSTER.”

He heaves as if he’s out of breath when his voice finally stops echoing through the tall room. Belle stands in horror of him, of those cruel looking small yellow dots that send shivers down her spine.

“You’re none of things you so desperately claim to be but you are… Afraid-and you’re acting like a coward.” Belle holds up her chin and stares him on, noting that one of his eyes had immediately flickered back to normal, once again looking wide and alarmed at her bravery. “And I think you’re to frightened to accept that someone actually cares about you so much despite what you think.”

“That’s a lie.” He hisses in a low tone and turns from her to face the other way, standing stock still from her own piercing gaze. “Truth is dearie, I’ve simply come to realize I’ve no interest in dealing personally with you or any other ‘humans’ anymore. Why don’t you do us both a favor and just leave this place.”

Belle fights to clear her throat through the painful build up lodging itself there. “We have a deal. I have no intention of breaking it early.”

“Damn that deal! I don’t want you here if you don’t want to be here!” He snaps as he turns his head to look at her, misery and pain stretched across the green gold of his face. “O… Our deal is over, it’s well beyond broken now.”

“And if I choose not to go then, what are you going to do to me?” Belle takes a step towards him, feeling a sense of courage blossom through her veins. “Are you going to kill me? Break my bones? Tear out my throat? No-you won’t. I know you won’t.”

The fury that seemed to encompass him seems to wash away and he starts staggering slowly away into the thicker darkness much to inflame her own anger that was bubbling up once again. Always, he always crawled back into the darkness when he wanted nothing more than to hide, escape, and to lick at his wounds as a beast might do. 

“Please… Just leave Belle… _Please. I beg you._ ” His pad like shoulders wrack in the shadows but he’s already ‘clacking’ away on heavy footsteps from her quickly. “Don’t let me add your blood to my hands…”

All too soon she’s alone again in the dark empty space of the front of Avonlea. The energy that had surged up through her falls completely flat causing her to drop to her knees again against the hard cold floor. Belle lets her hands rest on the tiles that seep up her warmth as the bubble of tears breaks through her stronghold and begin streaming down her face in salty rivers. Even with silence now her only companion she can’t cry out or sob above a whisper.

He’s still here in Avonlea, stuck in this place of torment without anywhere else to go and yet she feels utterly alone.

—————

A week passes after their confrontation and Belle does not see Rumplestiltskin during every single night she dons her Avonlea uniform and works from midnight to six in the morning. He hides or lurks in haunts and places she can not find despite trying so hard those first four nights after. When the weekend came Belle felt herself growing even more weary, more tired than she’s endured in a long while, not since she got the call that her father had been rushed to the hospital.

Then another week passes and she’s long given up now on trying to hunt him down and corner him so they can really ‘talk’. All the fear of him has drained away at this point as well as the utter panic at the thought of the man who attacked her coming back to get revenge or even give away her-and more importantly Rumplestiltskin. In all honesty she’s more pissed, angry, and hurt by his utter rejection of her, but she knows the truth at this point. Many a nights spent lying in bed thinking it through over and over again led her to the simple conclusion.

He had been harsh and cruel to her in his rage but he had laid himself more bared than he realized in his attempt to turn her away. To think that out of the two of them-a small human woman that couldn’t even defend herself properly and a mechanical being shaped like a man with the ability to break bones with out even trying, the latter would be the most frightened of all that happened.

She knew a long time ago he had done something terrible to a child in no doubt a fit like state and immediately was abandoned because of it, though they did not know how clear it was he regretted his actions. Now here he was, having done something terrible against a human out of fear once again. The animatronic was fearing the same conclusion to such a thing as before would occur and to prevent himself from seeing ‘her abandon him as she surely would’ he was trying to reject her care. Both in a way to keep her safe from his monstrosity-for he was terrified of his own uncontrolled brutality, and to spare himself some pain of loosing her.

It made her heart overflow with emotions. He had been alone for so long and finally had made a real friend (which was not too far off from her own story), but now it seemed he was going to loose all of that and left with the pain of utter loneliness. To think her sorcerer would just go back to lurking alone in the darkness to keep her safe was more than this knight could bear. Rumplestiltskin was not fortunate to have a cowering knight though. Even when faced with frightening beasts true heroes would forge their path headwards on with wit and courage despite the fear-despite the danger to themselves.

Unlike other knights however, this one had no intention of ensuring the beasts demise. No, it was time that the formidable beast met his match in stubbornness and better yet, a hero willing to help fight for him and his happy ending as well as her own.

Yes, it was this thought that finally allowed Belle, who’d been tossing and turning about her bed before an upcoming Monday, to finally get some real true sleep.

—————

She’d had enough of this and if she was the one who would have to make a stand and be brave then so be it.

This meant that the security guard had to think outside the box and approach her mechanical companion in the only way she could. It was unfair to him what she was going to do but he had brought this upon himself with being unable to face her in his fear that she has come to understand.

That slow Monday afternoon following the second week both guardians of Avonlea had been unable to make amends, Belle made her move. Gently she opened the front doors to the large bright painted building and wandered inside, eyeing the staff and small party going on over by the dinning room area. They were busy and even though a few employees noticed her they didn’t say much besides a courteous ‘Hello’ or stare in confused curiosity. She was becoming a norm amongst the scenery now which worked perfectly well for what she needed to do.

Though it was strange to be at Avonlea outside of her uniform now, but Belle tugged slightly at her above knee length skirt and clattered off in her heels towards the large doors leading to the back of the building. Mr. Getto wasn’t to be seen the entire walk through the building and she knew why. The security guard had seen the building’s schedule mention he would be out for the day.

Even better.

Walking faster now Belle strode past her office and the private party rooms till she came right up to a single metal door. She casted her gaze about, noticed no one watching or else in the hall and moved forward in her operations. Carefully, Belle open and closed the maintenance room door behind herself, pulling the knob and letting it softly click’ in its lock so no one would hear. It was important no one caught her or else she’d not only get herself into questionable words with Mr. Getto later but even worse she might possibly endanger the life of the mechanical man in the hidden room.

Hopefully Rumplestiltskin would be ‘asleep’ right now so she didn’t have to worry too much about him hearing her enter.

So through the darkness she wearily crept, accidentally bumping into the corner of one of the tables, but righting herself and stilling from the slight noise. Nothing happened after a minute and Belle kept going, recalling the room in her mind as best she could. She found the pipes she knew that were right in front of the wall and metal panel that hid the mechanical man during the day. Edging around it she brought herself into the small space and set about loosening the panel.

After doing so, setting it half aside so it wouldn’t be noticeable just incase someone randomly walked in, she stepped over the ledge and into the hollow space.

Rumplestiltskin was surely ‘asleep’ or completely out of it because there was no glow of his eyes in the thick darkness nor the sharp snap of his voice hissing at her to go away.

The pitter patter of her heart was suddenly growing in her mind worrying that this was a mistake. The security guard quickly pushed back the rattling voice in her head rambling on why she should turn back and leave. She’d be careful waking him but in this situation there was no room for him to be the showy monstrous beast he’d tried so hard to make her believe in.

Belle edged forward in small steps, till she found the set of shelves he kept his treasures and all he owned. The lantern was on the second shelf and she found the knob on it and turned it on. The small blueish glow lit up the space and Belle froze, wondering if Rumplestiltskin would awake because of this.

The mechanical man sat against the back wall, his head tilted downwards so the straggly strand of faux hair covered his features besides the point of his nose. He made no movement to the light, didn’t stir at all. Gazing at him with a look that was a mixture of sadness and frustration, Belle fought the urge to grab his can of coins from his shelf and toss it at his head as well as drop to the floor and hold him in her arms.

Instead Belle moved back to the panel, put it completely in place and then turned to face him.

“Rumple… Rumplestiltskin…” She called out his name softly, afraid to speak too loudly. Leaning forward she awaited him to wake up but he was death like still which frightened her more than she knew it should. He was a machine, he didn’t need to breath or move in his ‘unconscious’ like state, but him looking like a lifeless doll was not something that sat well with her.

Belle moved forward and then sunk to her knees, scooting herself right next to him as she thought of what to do. What if she spooked him and he accidentally hit her or attacked her out of fear? Belle found bravery still strong within herself and decided that even if he lashed out she’d be okay, she wasn’t going to let him take her down.

“Rumple… Hey… Wake up.” He still didn’t respond and Belle reached out a hand and wearily touched him on the shoulder. The cool metal was smooth under her skin and she realized this was the first time she’d ever seen him so unaware of himself. While awake he was constantly a moving creature till the few moments she caught him by surprise. Some portion of him seemingly had to be flittering, craning, or gesturing in energetic motion, being still was so unlike him and rare to see.

But now he was so… bared.

Gently, she raised her other hand, reaching out till it touched the slightly warm front of his throat. Even asleep he was still wonderfully warm there. The hand outstretched moved slowly and traced the underside of his jaw, noting when the cold metal blended and became the fake skin like material that was bumpy and smooth, nearly the same, but there was a softness to it. The look on his face was soft as well, so tired and human like it made her heart patter away in her chest painfully even more so. Skittering over this faux flesh she reached his cheek and brushed back some of his soft hair covering his face.

“B… Belle…”

She nearly jumped up from her knees when she heard the soft lit of his voice crackle from within his closed mouth. His head slightly moved against her hand, nuzzling into the width of her palm before he was still again.

‘Is he awake or is he dreaming?’ Belle thought, her own lips pursing slightly as she watched him in awe. ‘But how could a machine even dream?’

“Rumple…” The fear that had been weighing her down for four long days was somehow absent at this moment. Learning this new trait about Rumplestiltskin had her studying him in deeper admiration, him physically and the ‘spark’ she saw within. She watched as his face scrunched up slightly, the small whir of those parts moving more noticeable in this thick silence.

“D… Go… Don’t go… Belle.”

“Rumple, I’m not going anywhere.” Belle stated in a soft note, trying to fight back the bay of tears yet again. “If you wake up I’ll prove it to you.”

“Wha…My… Belle…” His eye lids clicked hallway open, spilling a yellow light that flickered on from the metal orbs in his head. “Belle… What are you…” Recognition flashed across his face and suddenly his eye flew wide open. Belle quickly gripped onto his jacket and vest as soon as he tried to start moving away from her, escaping the gentle touch of her hand. She realized with a heavy blush that perhaps this had not been the most proper thing for him to awake to, with her watching his slumbering form and all, but she didn’t let that notion stop her.

Rumplestiltskin held his arms up, as if he was the one utterly afraid or he was the one who should be terrified in this situation. “Belle!” He whispered sharply, snapping his jaw like a crocodile but the fearful look in his face didn’t subside. “What are you doing? Are you trying to get yourself hurt-or worse killed?! I-I didn’t hurt you just now did I?”

Belle shook her head, keeping a steady firm look pinned upon him now. “No, I’m absolutely fine. See? You didn’t even try to hurt me at all-”

“What are you even doing here? It’s day time, everyone is here at Avonlea-wait! Are you in trouble? Belle are you okay? What’s wrong?!” His sudden turnabout had Belle faltering for words a moment, she was too lost in this sudden concern he was showering her in. The animatronic was still sitting down but now Belle was the one gently leaning against the wall as he turned towards her with his hands placed on the cement ground.

“I-I’m fine Rumple…” Belle stammered, her heart pounding in her chest and yet it was hardly out of fear, or the kind of fear that had been drowning her as of late. “Please, calm down or else your going to give us away. I don’t have any intention of you getting found out or taken from here because of me.”

He pulled back from her space then, his eyes flickering around his room as his lip twitched slightly. He’d given away part of his true feelings in just those few seconds and Belle found herself dreading him trying to pull back again. How could they make any progression if he were to revert to the beastly facade he had thrown on over two weeks ago.

“ _Go._ Get out of here.” He hissed at her, and Belle felt her heart fall at this equally quick change. He bares his mouth open to present the rotten colored sharp teeth as if he is nothing more than an animal being threatened.“I told you to stay away! You’re a smart woman but why do you not listen?”

Belle frowned again and stood up on her knees, meeting him in equal height, which made him recoil back even further. Bravery had her move forward. Now one of his legs were stuck underneath the space of her knees, trapping him.

“If you forget I’ll do exactly as I feel like doing. No one decides my fate but me.” Belle retorted harshly, she felt no need for him to determine any faction of her life, especially not about this.

“You’re not safe with me Belle-I’ve told you this already.” His eyes lidded as his segmented brows furrowed, a nasty scowl and look casted towards her way. “Unless you suddenly have a death wish? To think you’d be so cruel as to make the blood thirsty monster fulfill it, even against his will!” He quietly snapped at her, before his deadly jaw clanked back closed and he stared at her hard with those large inhuman eyes of his.

Belle moved forward again, leaving hardly any space between them and there was no way Rumplestiltskin hadn’t taken notice. It was ironic yet again, he was the truly cornered one, a caged animal, now beneath her and the small rattle of his frame told her he knew that well enough. 

She didn’t want it to be this way though, he belonged at the same level as her, neither of them trapped unwillingly against each other. 

“I have no death wish and I know you would never fulfill such a thing either.” The young woman stated with firm sincerity that could not be mistaken for anything else.

“You-You’re a fool!” He growled but the words hardly had any punch to them, with the way his body trembled and the fact his eyes couldn’t even meet hers. “Why? Why do you keep coming back? Haven’t I caused you enough pain as it is? I don’t want to hurt you-please don’t let me have the chance to.”

His form wracked in silent tearless sobs beneath her and Belle fought the sadness and sorrow overwhelm her as well. Right now she had to be strong so that he wouldn’t turn away from her thinking she was fearful and afraid of him-nor pitying his existence though her compassion for him was endless.

“You’d never hurt me like that. I will admit I was afraid after that night that the possibility of you… The possibility of you doing something like that on accident to me might happen but I know the truth now. I have nothing to be afraid of-at lest for myself when it comes to you.” Belle rested her right hand on his shoulder and felt the trembling lessen slightly underneath her touch.

Rumplestiltskin looked as if he was trying to swallow back something with his head lowered. All together his voice was so small and dim she had to strain to hear him.

“But you’re-af-afraid of me. I know you are. I saw the way you looked at me that night and after how I… How I treated you weeks ago.”

“Listen to me. I’m more afraid for you… Not of you.” Slipping her hand from his shoulders Belle let the bravery wash over her as she leaned up against him and sat right next to his hip, curling one arm around him so that they now were on equal terms. The warmth from his waist seep through his vest and coat to her, and she rested her head more snug against his chest despite the uncomfortable leather beneath it. “You were scared-that night that man broke in… I understand that, you were just as scared as me. I also know that something went haywire with you-that scene triggered you to act out horribly because you were angry.”

“I wasn’t so much angry as I was terrified-b-because h-he hurt you.” Belle glances up but only sees some of his profile with the wiry hair adorning his face like curtains. “I heard you scream, hearing it once before was terrible enough… But it felt like the whole world was ending. I should have been with you. I had a terrible feeling that entire night but if I’d just gone with you none of that would have happened…” 

His head falls forward and Belle curls herself tighter to him, afraid he was going to do everything he could to escape from her-from this. “I made a promise I’d never let anyone or anything bad happen to you but in the end I failed, and I only made you even more afraid and scared.”

“You can’t protect me from everything.” Belle whispers as the imp stills in her arms, finally easing from the shakes that had encompassed him. “Bad things happen and I’m honestly so lucky that you even came at all. Who knows how far that man would have taken things to… I’ve come to realize that what happened must have been planned on his or whoever else’s part, a planned burglary on Avonlea since ‘weak little Ms. French’ was the only one inside… It could have been so much worse if you-if you hadn’t been there at all.”

She gasps slightly, the horrible daunting images coming to haunt her again. “I might have suffered more than being tasered and gaining a bruised face… Instead of being here with you I could very well had been killed…”

Rumplestiltskin suddenly moved and Belle had lost her grip but he didn’t turnaway or get to his feet to be rid of her. No, now she was in his lap and his arms were ever so gently wrapped around her. Part of her mind told her she should be afraid now, thinking of all the possibilities of horrid things happening, but she wasn’t and she knew well enough now she had no reason to.

“I’m sorry…” The animatronic whispers against the back of her head and Belle lets herself be encompassed in this hold. She doesn’t fear his jaw, so close against her, breaking into her skull nor smearing her brain across the floor. That’s not him, it’s not him to her at all. “I’m so sorry Belle, for what happened to you, for what you had to see, for how I’ve been treating you. I lost control-I let this awful thing that lurks inside me and between my broken code out and it nearly costed me my dearest friend and given me title of murderer… Please understand… I just want you to be safe, but you’re not safe here with me, I’m falling apart and faulting far worse than you know.”

Her heart was breaking at just that. It was all honesty spilling from those faux lips, and it spoke of how truly scared he was to even be near her.

“I’m not going to leave you here to sit alone in the dark.” She stated firmly, feeling his hold on her loosen. Belle didn’t want him to pull away, it’d been so long since she’d been held by someone who comforted her-she just never expected it to be the arms of a stowaway animatronic man. “Rumplestiltskin…”

She knew he was listening by the the way his face no longer nuzzled the top of her head and his body stiffened.

“I swear to you, when I leave this place, because one day I will have to, I’m going to take you with me.”

“B-Belle!” He practically squeaked her name on a broken note..

“You don’t have to be alone anymore. Why can’t you see that? You sitting here to corrode further by yourself in the dark isn’t going to help you get any better… You deserve to be happy too, even if you’ve done some terrible things. I believe you still deserve that chance just like anyone else does.”

“I’m not going to be your burden to bare!” Rumplestiltskin released his arms from around her and the emptiness against her sides is uncomfortable. “Your life and my ‘existence’ is hard enough as it is, don’t make it even worse for either of us, more importantly yourself.”

“You’re not a burden-you’re my friend and I know I’m your friend too! In fact, I know that if this situation was reversed you would offer me the same thing as I promised to you just now.” The tears dancing at the edge of her eyelids escaped much against her will and instantly the imp behind her heard the soft sobs and wrapped his arms back around her.

“Please don’t cry my dearest. Please don’t. I’m sorry.” He whispered against her head and Belle felt embarrassment wash over her-to be sobbing like a child again and especially in front of him. Then again with him it came so easy to let her bottled up emotions spill forth. 

“I don’t understand why you care so much about a rusting hunk of metal like me, it defies my logic and all reasoning but I… I… Am more glad than you can even imagine that you consider me friend.” Belle managed to quiet her soft sobbing enough after that last sentence that rumbled through the plated structure of his throat.

“Belle. If I ever become monstrous like that again-which I’m positive will no doubt happen one day, I want you to promise me something.”

Belle swallows back a build up of saliva and manages to reply. “What?”

“If I ever try to hurt people like that again do whatever it takes to stop me-and I mean whatever it takes.” His voice is grave and solemn and Belle feels a sharp pain burst through her chest. “I need you to promise me this Belle. This is very important and I know you know that what I’m asking of is right.”

“I don’t want to be the one to do something like that to you.”

“Belle.”

The way he says her name leaves her with no other option but to agree. It’s the human like voice, the serious side of him that makes her wonder if that would have been his lit if he were truly a human. Distinctly the building creaks around them in the quiet and Belle can almost hear the lively flesh and blood people out and about Avonlea. Her heart beat is pounding loudly in the silence alongside with the ticking in Rumplestiltskin’s torso that nearly matches the pace of the patter in her chest.

But she has to remind herself he’s not alive like she is. He looks, moves, and acts like he could be an ordinary person, despite the oddly beautiful complexion, but he is after all cold metal, wires, and programming.

Yet, inside of that body he calls a metal husk, she knows without a doubt that _he is real_.

“I promise, Rumplestiltskin… Let’s hope I never have to do such a thing.”

Rumplestiltskin sets his jaw softly back down on her head and she feels it move as he speaks in his hushed tone.

“I pray you never have to either, but you are a fearsome and noble knight, you will do the right thing even if it means stopping the vile sorcerer once and for all.”

Belle feels so tired at that moment, with the aching of her heart and how horribly she’s slept. The imp is warm from the waist up, he exudes a comforting heat that is lulling all her fears away and soothing the pain within her.

“If I’m such a noble knight that means that I’ll fight for everyone’s happy ending, yours too sorcerer.”

“Me have a happy ending? Monsters don’t get happy endings.” He hums on a soft amused note and Belle elbows him which makes him give a quiet chuckle that rumbles again through his chest. “I think right now is enough for me, even though I won’t get one, this here… It’s… more than I’ve ever even dreamed possible.”

Heat fills her cheeks when she realizes that both her and Rumplestiltskin are coddled and snug together in the darkness of his hideaway. This is the most intimate touching Belle has ever shared in a long while with anyone and she knows it is the most and only intimate human contact her animatronic friend has ever had.

‘But it feels wonderful to be honest.’ Belle admittedly thinks to herself before she nuzzles her face into the soothing smooth metal of his chest and fabric of his shirt.

“Dearest! Are you-are you… Comfortable?” Rumplestiltskin’s voice quivers and Belle figures he must have noticed how much closer she has gotten to him, they are pressed firmly against one another, it might be impossible to tell where his rigid form and her skin starts or ends. “Surely you can’t be?”

“Could you just hold me for a little while longer?” Belle asks of him, closing her eyes to listen to the rhythmic ‘tinking’ and ‘clattering’ going on inside his body.

“Of course.” He settles back, making himself stretched out so it was far more comfortable for her to curl up against him. “Anything for my dashing hero.” The impish part of him teases a bit in a hushed tone and despite wanting to flick him in the nose Belle is glad to hear that tittering portion of him return. Nestling down against him further, Belle smiles happily for the first time in what feels like forever. 

With a glance up she can see the imp is awkwardly smiling ever so slightly as well despite the nervousness in his eyes. “You’re a brave human, you know that right? Incredibly brave… Snuggling a vile beast in his lair.”

They spend a bit more time like that, forgetting all about the world outside that small little room for now. Belle knows that they’re reached a foothold again but despite this there will be a long way to go before they reach that level of ease with one another that they had before. This is a first step forward though, a good first step forward.

Together.

Belle is almost asleep at this point, thanks to the peace that has settled through out the hideaway, that is till she hears a loud voice talking to another voice near the maintenance room door.

“You know it’s the strangest thing. Ms. French’s car is outside but I haven’t seen her this entire day, her office is empty as well. Odd, maybe it’s not her.” An employees voice speaks up beyond the room.

“I thought I saw her too-maybe she met someone here?” Another voice replies though they disappear with the distance relatively fast and the last she manages to hear is about the fact the ticket counter needs more silly string cans added into the prize case.

Belle glances back up to the animatronic man who is glancing back down at her with large wide eyes.

Then he snickers a bit. “You better get a move on dearest. Least you need to be rescued from the claws of the beast of Avonlea, eh? I might not be so easy to sway however…”

“Oh-um right.” Belle feels herself growing flush again, though she keeps reminding herself she shouldn’t need to feel that way with Rumple (it never works). She’d nearly fallen asleep right on top of Rumplestiltskin (not to mention her skirt had ridden up her thighs thus pushing the red of her cheeks further) and he seemed quite embarrassed as well, with how his eyes flickered to everywhere but her. He’s ever so lucky he can’t blush.

She moves to get up from him but stops mid motion, keeping and outstretched hand on one of his shoulders to balance herself. “Before I go though-you better promise me something extra as well.” She points a finger at him dramatically with his usual flourish to gain his attention, which of course makes him look at her a tad unamused. “When I come to work you better not be sulking off somewhere and avoiding me, capiche? If we’re friends that means we don’t have to keep things secret, if something bothers you or you feel like saying something-then say it, don’t hide from me anymore.”

The impish man grins faintly at her and holds up his hands as if to reveal he wasn’t crossing any fingers like a naughty child might. “I promise. I will try to be better though I can not promise you much… I will try hard to be more human for you.”

“Just try to be more of yourself, and true to that.” Belle shakes her head at him, finally starting to realize that his physical form was meaning absolutely nothing to her-not in the sense of importance anyways when it came to… Caring for him. Feeling the need to add something herself to this she continues fighting the heat continually rising in her face. “And on top of that if you will be true to me then I will do my best to do the same.”

“Yes.” He almost gulps with the soft scrape of metal in his throat. “The deal is struck-”

Belle reaches out her hand and places a finger on his lips and instantly stills the imp. His large eyes practically go cross eyed attempting to stare at the finely manicured finger tapering off his words.

“No more deals.” She says firmly, keeping her eyes pinned on him but a smile spreads across her face. “You do this because you want to and I will because I want to. That’s another part about being friends.”

“Oh dearie, dear. I’m new to this friendship thing, but I suppose you’ll teach me what I need to know.” He titters slightly and Belle removes her finger from his moving lips, and stands to her feet. The animatronic moves and shifts, clacking slightly as he rises to his feet as well. When it’s clear no one is out and about in the hall he pulls back the panel for her and she steps over the ledge, minding her high heeled shoes again. 

A segmented hand is offered up for her assistance and she takes it within her own gratefully. “Well, I suppose I shall see you then… Tonight.” Rumplestiltskin speaks and Belle peers back at him while keeping her hold onto that odd hand that encompasses her small one so easily.

“Yes, you will.” She winks at him then. His face lights up in that manner she loves most and a mischievous smile of her own fills the contours of her lips. “Avonlea will need its guardians to get back into tip top shape after all.”

 

 


	13. Chapter 13

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The end of October means Halloween and despite recent events Belle still wants to celebrate-especially with Rumplestiltskin whose never experience such an occasion before. However, nothing goes according to Belle’s thought out plan…

“What do you think? Sexy devil maybe? Damn it-I did that three years ago though. I should spice it up, do something interesting.”

“Hmmm… There’s a… Red Riding Hood cape. You’ve already kind of got a costume like that don’t you? All you’ll need is an adorable picnic basket to complete it.”

“I could carry booze in it and no one would be the wiser!”

“Fashionable, sexy and convenient.”

“That’s why I had to bring you along on this mission, you have the brains to figure these things out.”

Ruby Lucas and Belle were currently walking down an overloaded Halloween aisle at a makeshift Halloween shop in Boston. The kind of shop that sets up in an empty store or building right at the end of September and were filled with nothing else than festive merchandise.

The two had taken the day before said holiday to help the wolf like girl figure out her costume- since her previous outfit failed to pass ‘customer appropriate standards’ according to Granny. Now they were on the hunt for one she could wear while at work but one the waitress could spice up for the usual warehouse Halloween party being held in Storybrooke.

Belle mused over the wide selection of costume, wigs, and silly props while her friend was goofing around with an elaborate yet typical witch hat. Before Belle knew it the hat was placed on her head, smoothing down her brown hair to cause it to puff around her face in thick curls.

“You’d make such a cute little witch.” Ruby pointed out with a slight pout. “Are you sure you don’t want to tag along to the party? It’s no sophisticated function like some of the ones in Boston but it’ll beat staying home alone eating a package of those pre-made cookies while watching cheap horror movies.”

Belle sighed, hearing her friend plead for her to join her in the fun tomorrow night for the third consecutive time that morning. “Sorry, Ruby but… I don’t know. I’m not a big fan of those type of parties, you know. Small parties are good but other than that…”

There was also the issue of her unidentified attacker still being out and about. Belle had been freaked out enough as of late she wasn’t sure if a big party was going to help with that. Then again nothing had happened yet since that night, she’s seen no one following her after hours nor going towards Avonlea during her typical shifts. The guy who broke in had been hurt pretty bad after all, having left with a broken arm and no doubt additional broken ribs thanks to her metal guardian. Perhaps he had no intentions of ever even coming back to Storybrooke.

Every inch of the young woman hoped that was the case.

Still, she wasn’t going to let that horrible instance hold her back on living her life-but the fear was still there, lingering in her shadows and waiting to creep back up when she was good and well alone.

The taller woman sighed, turning on her high heeled boots to face the shorter of the two. Belle broke out of her deep thought to peer at Ruby in question. “Bells… Look, I’m just kind of worried for you. That’s the only reason I keep asking.”

Belle quirked an eyebrow at Ruby after removing the witch hat and setting back on the shelf with the others. “What do you mean?”

“You’ve been so busy with work, and work, and work.” Ruby began, loosening her arms to make it appear as if she was burdened with something heavy on her shoulders. “And then when you’re not you’re stuck at home like an aged reclusive hermit or something. Now, I know you’re not the biggest extrovert-”

“Technically that means I’m an introvert.” Belle points out.

“Alright smarty pants. I get that not everyone is up for human contact all the time but even then I think you still need to get some human interaction, especially right now. You’re at the prime of your life-come on out with me and live a little for once!”

A slight frown crosses Belle’s face at this notion that Ruby seemed to have. The taller girl had relaxed from her theatrical bit but the concern in her green eyes was still there and quite real. ‘Live a little?’ The thought crosses her mind harshly, like a bandaid ripped off too fast. ‘I mean I know my life isn’t the big adventure that I wanted-not right now at least but am I really…’

“You really think I need to get out more?”

Ruby sighs once again, a bit lighter this time, and puts a hand on Belle’s shoulder. “Look, I’m just worried that you’re not getting enough time to enjoy yourself lately… I know helping out your dad and yourself is your number one priority,  I feel the same way about… The old nag.” Belle fights a bit of a giggle but the waitress rolling her eyes continues. “But you should go meet some new faces, mingle a bit, and get some fresh air that is tainted by the smell of books or the… Ugh, reeking stench of Avonlea pizza and god knows what else.”

“There is nothing wrong with the smell of books. It’s rather soothing. But I have to say it sounds like you have something against Avonlea-or at least the pizza anyways.” Belle lightens the mood, but takes Ruby’s word to heart much to her discomfort.

“Not a fan of the food there, a bit too greasy for my tastes.” Ruby’s nose crinkles a bit but she quickly shakes off the momentary distraction. “I’ll only ask one more time so you don’t get fed up with me. Come to the party,  _pleeeeaaaase_?”

Puppy eyes plead at her above clasped hands.

“Just… I’ll think about it.” Belle commits at least that but it seems to satisfy her friend with how she grins and grabs her collected costumes from their cart and heading towards the back where some changing stations were.

“Okay good-and hey there’s a plus if you come along. There’s gonna be a lot of people from out of town, you might just meet your dream guy. You never know.”

“As if that’ll happen.” The thought is ridiculous and Belle should have known Ruby would attempt to make that a selling point. “I’m not expecting some Prince Charming to arrive on his dashing horse just to be my hero at a Halloween Party.” Belle retorts. Right now with the hectic things going on in her life she’s far from concerned about her relationship status… For the most part.

“Who knows, they say ‘All Hallows Eve’ is a magical night, maybe he’ll arrive just in the nick of time and sweep you up off your feet!” Belle is the one to roll her eyes as the waitress darts off with a playful smirk, leaving the security guard alone with a row of decorative faux feathered owls staring back at her.

“I don’t think I need to go to a big party to have a good time… Nor my ‘dream guy’ appearing from mid air to make things better.” Belle speaks out loud, a tad frustrated that it’s come down to these things for others to decide her current state of well being. Belle knows what she’d honestly like to make her happy over all, but right now there was no way she could achieve that… Not yet anyways.

The front owl decoration with dark brown feathers and large yellow eyes just stares back at her while she thinks, stuck in it’s own perpetual moment of owlish confusion.

Those bright large yellow eyes reminds her of someone dear and she can’t help but finally crack a smile because of it. Rumplestiltskin didn’t have nearly as large pupils, the opposite actually, but the fact the halloween owl makes her think of her mechanical companion causes the urge to buy it grow immediately.

“I shouldn’t complain should I? At least I can get to go out and do something if I want to. It’s my choice completely if I want to stay at home, party, or even trick or treat at the age of twenty five… He’s not as lucky as I am.” Belle whispers. Some how a cute halloween decoration is making her spill her guts out into the open air (and she’s sure anyone passing by probably thinks she’s nuts).

Rumplestiltskin is truly the one who could use some social interaction, far more than what she seemed to be needing at least. Belle had been thinking long and hard after they had made up from the horrific incident weeks ago and one thing that nagged her was ‘just how she could she really help him?’ There was no hope of just introducing him to society and wishing for the best reaction, that wasn’t going to work. She wasn’t naive enough to expect everyone to accept him and turn a blind eye to his…

 _‘Monstrousness.’_ Her mind first thinks. The intrusive thought was very unwelcome but her true feelings snap right back against it. ‘No-his  _Uniqueness_.’

It hadn’t taken terribly long for Rumplestiltskin to warm up to herself, but how would he act or adjust to other humans again, especially ones who she couldn’t know would be as empathetic as her? Surely even if he just spent some time with a few other people he could manage to learn and grown enough that they could get some assistance in taking care of his faulting parts and make him fully functional once more.

But just how could she manage to do that? Could she just easily pull Ruby over to Avonlea, reveal Rumplestiltskin, and expect her to just accept him and care for him like she had herself? What about her own father, or Sheriff Graham, or even little Henry Mills?

The young woman shook her head, having a gut feeling that bringing him up to anyone-or Storybrooke in general was not a good idea in the least. Images of horrific scenes flickered through her mind. Scenarios where Rumplestiltskin was being beaten, torn apart, subjected to study and broken down by the very people she knew and lived with on a day to day basis horrified her at the mere thought.

‘So what? He spends the rest of his… Existence, stuck in a building all day staring at the world through a window?’ Belle bit it back at the darkness clouding her mind, forcing them to the dark corners inside her head where they belonged. ‘He’s got me… But how could I possibly give him everything he deserves a chance at having? Alone I could never let him experience what normal people do-especially not things far out and about in the world beyond Avonlea.’

Belle ran a finger over the owls soft tufts of feathers, finding the faux fibers soothing as well as the motion. It was about as soft as Rumplestiltskin’s own fake wiry hair and the woman found herself suddenly missing him in the middle of the day-despite having just spent six hours last night in his company.

What she was doing with Ruby was what she wished she could do with the animatronic being. Both of them just spending a day out doing what normal people do, getting to show him sights and things he’d never seen before-especially on a once a year occasion as Halloween…

It was impossible though… Then again maybe not.

‘Duh! It’s nearly Halloween after all!’ Belle’s mind lit up like fireworks at the sudden idea and she began to feel a wide grin pushing across her face. ‘There’s totally a chance for him to get to experience a little bit of the world!’

“Hey Bells!” Ruby’s voice broke through the delightful and wonderful plans the security guard was trying to construct right then and there. Looking up from the Halloween decorations Belle sees her friend with her red cape in tow and some other parts of a costume-that looked like a headband with wolf ears, fake sharp teeth, and some additional makeup. “I think I’m done, I’m going with the Red Riding Hood idea after all but with a twist!” She dons on the wolf ears, which are a fluffy grey against her long dark brown and red streaked hair.

“My what big teeth you have little Red.” Belle muses much to her friends satisfaction, unable to keep hidden her own bursting enthusiasm. “I think it’s a great idea.”

“Awesome! You bet I’ll be havin’ the boys howling all night long. Oh, anything you need to get here before we go?”

“No-I don’t think so… Wait! I’ve got to think some stuff over now.” Belle stumbled, trying to come up with a formulated idea and for some reason the auburn haired beauty looked to her current form of guidance, which just stared back reassuringly with its yellow fake eyes.

Ruby tilted her head slightly, looking rather perplexed with her bright red lips pursed. “You know you should totally get that owl-you’ve been staring at it a good while now since we came down this aisle. I didn’t know you liked them that much.”

“This one just won me over for some reason. You know what…” Belle laughed then, pushing back some of her slightly unruly hair behind her shoulder. “I will get him. Oh and Ruby, I’ve decided about what I’m doing tomorrow night. I’m going to go to that party after all.”

Ruby’s face went blank a moment, and then a shriek of delight rung across nearly the entire store.

—————

She’s so excited that it’s hard for Belle to contain the eagerness thrumming through her skin and veins by the time Friday night rolls around. Her fifth night of the week at Avonlea means she gets to met with the animatronic man and divulge her ingenious schemes for them to fulfill this very Halloween eve.

“Hey Rumple, where are you?” Belle calls out into the dark eerie hallway of Avonlea as she’s walking down the empty corridor leading towards her office. Right now she doesn’t hear any ‘clacking’ steps in the faint distance nor his unusual accented voice jumping in volume randomly to give her a mild fright. She puzzles a bit over the thick silence but moves on.

That puzzled look on her features quickly changes into a sigh of relief when she sees the animatronic figure is not hiding away (he’d been good about that so far, keeping to his word) but was lying on her office couch with a book held out in front of his face. It was amusing seeing Rumplestiltskin’s features twisted into a look of absolute focus that didn’t even change or falter when she flicked the lights on.

Belle was about to tell him out right that it’s no good to read in the dark but she stopped herself when she remembered the fact that he’s got glowing eyes and for _pete’s sake_ -he’s a machine, he _could_ read in the dark.

“You okay there?” The young woman asks the imp instead while she sets out her belongings next to her swivel chair.

“Wait one second, dearest…” He mutters absentmindedly and Belle watches with even more intrigue as he flips a page over. There is only one paragraph on this entire page so it’s clear to her that he’s at the end of the book.

She just gave that nearly four hundred page book to him yesterday!

“Done!” The green gold animatronic chirps and closes the book with a resounding ‘thud’ looking quite satisfied with the end of the tale. He sits up properly to face her, his mechanical parts squeaking and clattering while doing so. “I rather enjoyed that one. Do you have more perchance by this author-”

When he looks up at her Belle is setting out the fake owl she bought earlier that day to sit next to her small pumpkin previously purchased. Not much Halloween spirit was draped around Avonlea or her office but it didn’t matter with her current plans.

“A fake owl… Is this a necessary addition to your desk?” The imp grumbles and peers with semi lidded eyes at the fake bird with rising suspicion. He speaks up before she can say anything to answer his inquiry. “No, never mind, I remember now. Your human celebration called Halloween is later today. Quite a little late to be getting more into the spirit now.”

“It’s never too late, though I say you sure don’t seem to have any Halloween spirit yourself.” Belle raises her brows as she watches him mimic the owls tilt of head when he peers at it a bit harder, both their big yellow eyes pinned on one another makes her nearly cackle outright at how adorable this sight is.

Rumplestiltskin looks away from the decoration seeming done with their staring contest (that could go on forever-literally) and shrugs, hunching his leather jacket and making it slightly squeak. “I know very little of this tradition honestly, dearest.” Belle pauses a moment to reflect on how much she’s preferring these dearest’s compared to ‘dearie’. “All I’ve gathered is that you humans like to celebrate the fall with the unnecessary addition of autumn gourds, snakes, spiders, and an act called ‘Trick or Treating’ while dressed in silly costumes-which I might add is ridiculous. As if that would actually _scare away_ evil spirits if it was still used as such a practice.”

Belle is biting back bubbling laughter over his idea of the holiday and his over analyzation of its nonsensical portions. She has to tuck her wobbling lip between her lip to help stifle the giggles.

The realization over his immediate confusion comes back to her though and the amusement dies down somewhat. Still, her growing excitement that has been building the entire day reminds her to keep cheerful because soon, he’ll get to experience all of this and much more.

“You’ve never celebrated it have you? Did you ever get to really learn about it when you were on ‘the stage’?”

“No.” He mutters softly, faux lips drawn down into a slight frown. “They’ve never really celebrated it in Avonlea when I was on stage-Christmas sure, but not Halloween. Wasn’t till the later years they began to celebrate it so all I’ve ever known is from papers and what I hear. I’m not to concerned about missing out on it. Looks absolutely foolish-the whole concept.” His impish voice is a bit nasally as he seems to grumble on and he sits with one hand extended, admiring the cuff of his leather jacket as if it’s more interesting than their current topic.

He’s wearing the imps facade again, she notices. It’s getting easier and easier for Belle to tell despite the metal stiff imitation of a face that looks back at her own.

“You’re missing out on so much fun!” Belle’s brows fall back down as a delighted look spreads across her face. Spinning around more towards him in her chair she leans forward to engage his attention-which she knows she has with how rapt he flicks his amber eyes back to her. “There’s all sorts of enjoyable things to do this time of year, even if you’re an adult-or an animatronic man. You can pick your own pumpkin from a pumpkin patch-paint or carve them to set outside with candles to light them up. As you already know people dress up in costumes, there’s handing out candy to kids, watching horror movies, big parties too! In fact I’m going to a big party here in Storybrooke tomorrow night in celebration, I’ve my own costume put together and everything.”

Both his hands are clasped at his knees now. He looks at her with a rigid face but with a small smile that seems a tad too forced.

“Oh you are? That sounds… Interesting I suppose. You humans do know how to celebrate in odd but endearing ways.” He fumbles a bit with his words and Belle sits back to try to understand what was going on inside his mind. “Perhaps… You can tell me about it more after celebrating and when you come back to work Monday.”

She can’t wait any longer, so the words come pooling out of her mouth before she can reel them back and think of a more elegant approach.

“Rumple, I want you to come with me!”

His eyelids jump open wide, till they’re no longer visible and Belle can practically see the cogs and gears inside his head all whirring to a stand still. Worried she’s probably overloaded his processors she reaches forward and grabs both of his large hands into each her own.

“I-I don’t understand.” He stammers.

“I’ve been doing a lot of thinking, about ways to help you and ways to get you some real social interaction.” Belle spills, feeling her emotions and truthful thoughts floating effortlessly from her throat. “I know you get some interaction from me, which makes me happy for you but I don’t think that I’m enough really-”

“Y-You are! I don’t need to talk to any other person or be with any other.” Rumplestiltskin suddenly barges in and his words elicit a sharp spark through her heart, one she can’t decide if is good or bad.

He seems just as shocked at his reveal and attempts to withdraw from her, his cold metal hands trying to slip past her own warm ones. Belle doesn’t let them. “I mean-You know I’m not good with people, dearest… With you as the single exception of course. I’d rather not deal with troublesome humans who feel the need to scream and run at the sight of me striding towards them.” His large amber eyes refuse to meet her face and his shoulders hunch slightly withdrawing himself physically from this as well.

“But you don’t have to worry about that. Don’t you see? Rumple, tomorrow you could walk outside and no one would bat an eyelash at you. Everyone knows its Halloween and the town will be filled with people dressed up in costumes and outfits of all sorts. You’ll blend in! You can see Storybrooke through your own eyes instead of newspaper clippings or what you’ve heard-you’ll get to see all the ridiculousness of us humans first hand.”

He looks up at her then as she smiles at him in encouragement, wishing him to understand this opportunity that has come to him.

“You’re saying… _I can leave Avonlea with you_?”

He speaks the last part as if it’s something he couldn’t believe in, a false hope that only desperate fools would fall prey to and it breaks her heart. Sitting there with him she can see the absolute vulnerability looking her head on now, the absolute emotion that shimmers with the slightest twitch of his mouth.

“I haven’t left Avonlea… I don’t think I could…” The words come out in stubborn shaky chunks and suddenly the all too ‘real’ moment is broken by him standing up abruptly and escaping her grasp. He’s already moving past her upon clanking steps to the door frame, attempting to retreat into the darkness that he has inhabited for so long. “Terribly sorry but I’ll have to decline your request, dearest!” The imp theatrics tries to come back and Belle stands up too, trying to understand what exactly was going on in those all too quick seconds.

“Wait! Rumple! Are you saying you’ve never left this building before?” She asks then, finding her heart beating far more painfully in her chest than what she liked. It wasn’t her pain to have and yet it felt as if her body had chosen to hold the weight that his could surely not.

He turns back to face her, one hand on the wooden door frame curling around it as some sort of life line. The look on his face, barren and hurting says everything that his words can not in this moment.

Stepping forward, Belle approaches him carefully. “You mean you’ve not even stepped outside here, not even once?” She knew he’d been stuck here for twenty eight years with his previous admissions but never had she imagined that he’d not even try to walk out the door.

“I can’t leave.” He states softly, his eyelids drooping slightly, dimming the glow that is nipping at the shadows edges on his face. “I’m not supposed to anyways.”

Conscious actions were all forgot as Belle took hold of one of his arm sleeves, drawing the leather into her own curling fingers as she stared up at him with pleading eyes. “But you can leave Rumple, it’s not as if you’re someone’s property anymore though I argue you never were to begin with. No one can tell you what you can or can’t do. Just come with me, see for yourself.”

“Belle. I can’t leave.” The panicked look across his artificial face is all too real. “I was made without the intention of me ever stepping out past these walls, my programming tells me I have to stay within Avonlea, it is only rule I have never-ever broken since the day I was activated.”

She’s growing frustrated again at this wall he’s trying so hard to keep built up but at least he is not trying to hide everything from her-he is trying.

But she has seen it flicker across his eyes-the true answer that they both know but he won’t admit. He is terribly afraid. Yet why should he not be?

Still, that was no reason to keep oneself caged like an animal.

“You say these things but I know that you know you don’t _belong_ being stuck in here.”

Her grip is loosened from his arm as the imp moves to fully face her. With his steps he is standing within the empty dark hall that threatens to swallow him up and she within the space of her bright office, darkening him with her own small shadow. Desperately her hands want to grab him, to shake him a bit, hold him even, but they stay down at her sides as he leans a bit closer.

It’s so small now, the space between them, it’s the nearest he has ever brought himself to her on his own accord and it steals away her own breath.

The real person she know’s exists in there is standing before her, right underneath the metal and paint and wires and plates.

“I don’t expect you to understand. You were born into this world with acceptance, out of love and the-the realization that you are your own person.” The mechanical man talks softly, the tricksters nasally playful and taunting voice completely gone. It’s this foreboding, nearly all to serious side that sends thrills down her arms and legs and makes her unsure of who and what this being before her is. “I on the other hand was not. I was not born like you, I was  _made_ and for only one purpose and only one place… But I wasn’t even capable of fulfilling that! How could I willingly let myself leave after the disaster and pain I’ve caused here? Please… I know that you know that something broken like me doesn’t _belong_ out there.”

She stares at him and then looks down for the sake of her pride, feeling the tears pebble slightly at the corners of her eyes.

He can almost sense this instinctively it seems to her, as his segmented brows arch upwards and his face turns to one of great concern towards her. A large hand reaches up to nearly cup her face but the clawed green gold fingers stop an inch from her skin.

“I’m sorry Belle. Your idea sounds wonderful and I’d love to explore the world with no other than such a Noble Knight… But I can’t go with you. I hope you still have fun doing what you do at these big parties you mentioned. Enjoy your evening outside these walls, eh? You’ve well earned it.”

“I guess it’s true-I don’t understand. I’m sorry to bother you about it then.” She brushes at her face then, trying to school her own features into something nonchalant but she’s not a person who is so good at hiding her emotions-she’d rather bare them then let them fester inside. Something tears at her though and she decides not to hold it in. “So this means you have no intention of coming with me when I leave Avonlea.”

His brows arch back down, crinkling the fake skin between them as he leans away from her and back into the dark.

“Trust me, you’ll regret that promise in time. I don’t hold you to it, dearest. It’s not a deal after all.” He titters slightly at the end, as if he can suddenly make this heart ache throbbing in her chest lessen with his silly antics. However it appears he notices this and Belle wonders if he’s suddenly starting to read her just as well as she him. “I’m going to go do a run since I just finished that book-I’ll check up on that nuisance of a plant of yours as well-don’t fret.”

“Alright. I’m going to go… Get some coffee.” She mutters in response and doesn’t catch the flash of hurt in his eyes, matching her own.

He steps back again, nodding to her before turning on heel to ‘clack’ down the corridor and disappear from her sight as well as her hearing.

‘How did I never ask or think about him not being able to leave Avonlea before? How do I expect to take him with me if he can’t even make himself leave this place?’ Belle thinks to herself, sitting down on the couch and resting her head back against the cushions when she is well alone. ‘Does he not want to or is he too afraid of what might happen? It’s his choice-I can’t change that but…’

It hurts. The thought that he’d never once stepped outside even this building surely because all of what he’s endured and rather not ever do so breaks the crumbling organ pitter pattering in her chest further. Selfishly it also stings and throbs over the fact that he has no intentions of leaving with her when she had promised she would take him away one day.

Belle couldn’t blame him for the way he felt however. Could he even trust himself to go out there and not hurt someone if he were to panic and fall into a dark ‘fit’? He couldn’t trust the opposite for himself, that was for sure.

“I’m sorry Rumple… I’m sorry I really can’t help you…” Belle mutters as she presses her arm over her eyes. “I really can’t help anyone can I?”

—————

‘Why am I still doing this?’ Belle thinks for the five hundredth time no doubt as she slams her car door shut outside a large warehouse near the docks and waterside of Storybrooke. ‘Oh yeah-because I need to ‘live’ a little… Right…’

All her previous enthusiasm over the party had diminished, even her afternoon, after getting some sleep, of baking treats and handing out candy to dressed up kids from her fathers flower shop hadn’t been enough to wipe away the dreary cloud that hung above her head. Today should have gone differently. She should have been arriving to this late night party with someone in tow, showing him the fun and world that he’s missed out on for twenty eight years and that he can enjoy it nearly the same as she could.

But now she was stepping through the small back door with several other people she didn’t know to attend an event she didn’t really want to go to.

‘Just because Rumplestiltskin didn’t want to come with me doesn’t mean I shouldn’t have a good time myself. My life doesn’t revolve around him just as his doesn’t revolve around mine.’ She confides to herself internally, holding on tight to those words in hopes that it will help her find a good time to be had.

It’s almost uncomfortably loud here and crowded, a building full of people she doesn’t know. The few people she got along with were never at something like this, not that she thought it was terrible, it just wasn’t her cup of tea. 

It’s a bit hectic to get around the floor with moving bodies dancing to the beat and drinks abound. Belle tip toes back on her feet nearly bumping straight into a couple dressed in matching vampire costumes stumbling by-too caught up in their own world to notice her there.

Even in her costume that is far from her norm, she’s another face in the crowd here in a sea of people just as equally dressed up or more. Belle brushes at her outfit, wondering if perhaps she chose something too warm for this party. 

Her theme this year had been ‘winter fairy’ of sorts and was a costume she really did like and was glad to at least get to wear after all. Her top had a swoop neckline that was white with embroidered gold and silver lining, accompanied by a shoulder cape to fight the chill and cover the straps that went over her shoulders and back for her fake thin sparkling wings. The skirt that went along with it cut above her knees in jagged edges but she had long silver stockings to help combat the cold against her legs-though her shoes were the only thing she wished to change, due to their thinner heel, but were the only ones she had to match. 

Even her hair had been threaded with some silver and gold fake flowers and branches to push the woodland effect as well as sparkling glitter painted onto her cheeks.

All that was missing to complete the costume was the imp who should have been her counterpart.

‘Stop it! You can clearly have fun without him-you don’t need him to have a good time.’ The fairy reminds herself, pinching at the bridge of her nose in frustration… and sadness. ‘But he’s the only real reason I wanted to come here…’

In the near practical sea of people Belle pushed through, it took a while for the young woman to find the she wolf she was looking for.

“Belle! So glad you could make it!” Ruby yelped in joy when she caught sight of Belle nudging her way towards her, fake wolf tail wiggling behind her. “Oh my god-you’re an even cuter fairy than a witch!”

“Thanks, I see no blood on your person. You must not have eaten any of the boys here alive yet.”

“ _No, not yet_.” Ruby growls playfully, her costume no longer as family friendly as it had been earlier in the day for work at the diner. “But I’m so glad you’re here-I can warn you ahead of time now before you accidentally bump into tall dark and annoying.” A grimace crossed the wolf girls face and Belle felt her stomach drop somewhat. The fairy gives the wolf a look that says it all.

Ruby nodded.

“Garry LeGume is here.”

“Ugh-Just what I needed to add to my night.” Belle groans, nearly pinching the bridge of her nose again.

The night wouldn’t have been completed if the boy who had endlessly harassed her to date him from high school wasn’t here. It’d been years since she last saw him and she’d like to have kept it that way-there was no way she was going to put up with someone like him tonight.

“I wouldn’t worry about it too much-he came here with someone so he shouldn’t be making any sleazy moves. If he does I swear I’ll hunt him down and make him regret ever turning back up here again.” Ruby grumbles and Belle thanks her with a faint smile. “Now-How about I go and get us some proper drinks?”

Belle shakes her head quickly, not feeling any need to make this night even worse for herself. “No thanks. Unless you’ve got some punch without the kick or something.”

It turns out that there was at least some sour apple punch without any additional alcoholic ingredients and Belle drinks the green tasty liquid from a safe corner of the makeshift bar. Everyone around her seems to be having a good time but Belle can only think of how much she’d really like to be anywhere but here right now. Before she knows it Ruby is at her side dragging her along for the ride before she’s pulled into a conversation with some other people Ruby introduced for her.

In the end, Belle does little talking amongst them all, doing her usual of listening more so than speaking-well it was hard to join in when they were speaking of things Belle had little interest or knowledge in. An attempt was made on her part as she brought up a recent book she much enjoyed while they were talking about hobbies, but it backfired miserably on her account.

‘Oh god… Is she right am I just out of the loop anymore? No, it’s just this type of scene isn’t your thing Belle’s… What have you gotten yourself into?’

A good while of this goes on, with a break in between where Ruby had tried to get her to dance, which was kind of fun seeing as Belle was not so coordinated and was put to shame thanks to Ruby’s better moves.

‘I wonder if Rumplestiltskin knows how to dance at all?’ Belle muses on a faint smile when Ruby departs from her at the songs end, needing to check up on something when someone calls her name. The fairy ensures she’ll be fine on her own for a bit and is glad for the momentary space.

Imagery of the Imp dancing sent her cheeks pushed upwards, surely he’d be good at graceful dances, but then again with his limbs and body he might just be as bad as her.

‘There I go again… Good grief.’

Belle sighed in relief, when she managed to sit down in a folded chair in a less occupied corner of the building, away from the crowds of people partying about  in costumes from ridiculous to downright confusing. Much to her thankfulness the music seems to lower in volume somewhat as she relaxes and observes the world going on around her without cringing at the loud blaring from the speakers. Standing on the outside and watching from afar was far more interesting and entertaining than attempting all that poor mingling on her part.

‘Rumple is right… This holiday is really silly when you think about it.’ Belle muses on a slight note of laughter but quickly feels her lips down turn. ‘If I’m supposed to be having fun and ‘living’ a little then why am I so miserable?’

The cup of punch is empty when she goes to take another drink and she sighs once again, moving to stand and throw it away-maybe even escape outside for a few seconds to get some fresh air. While looking around for a trashcan Belle notices an actual familiar face, someone that seems to easily split up the crowd around him as he walks through.

It was Sheriff Graham!

“Graham! What are you doing here?” Belle smiles and approaches, tipping slightly on her shaky heels but keeping upright. Seeing someone she knows helps spark back some of her usual airy self and the Sheriff with usually somber face sends a smile her back in reply.

“I got a complaint from an anonymous nearby house owner. Had to unfortunately come and tell the DJ to turn his… ‘Beats’ down as our caller had so called it.” Graham scratched at the back of his head, dressed up clearly in his sheriff uniform and not in any costume. No doubt Ms. Swan was out and about with Henry Mills for the night and thus left Graham the officer on duty for the late evening. “I wasn’t expecting to see you here? Not celebrating with your father?”

Belle shrugged a bit, fairy wings bouncing slightly against her back. “No-he’s down at the dinner no doubt with his friends pretending the holiday doesn’t exist. Though he’s probably having more of a fun time than I am.”

“I was about to say… Honestly, you look kind of miserable. Were you dragged unwillingly here?” He jokes, managing to make her smile some more for real, a nice change of pace to this rather stressful and tiring evening.

“No, I chose to come here but I had imagined it would go a little bit better in my mind. Then again I wanted someone to come with me but he declined…”

The sheriff looked at her thoughtfully and Belle turned her head slightly, wondering what he was looking at or thinking of behind his clear blue eyes.

“So your bummed this person didn’t come with you and yet you chose to come to the party despite knowing you’d not be up for this? Not the very Belle like response I would have thought of.” He says it simply, as if fact and she realizes that he’s very right. 

“I know but it’s just… Ruby says I should get out and live a little. So even if he didn’t want to come with me I shouldn’t put my life on hold. Though I know that he didn’t come with me for his own good reasons… God, what was I thinking trying to invite him out to something like… This?” Belle moves her hands out in front of herself, looking at the group of people and noise that was nothing that Rumplestiltskin would honestly like. He would have overload in fear and dread and even if he wasn’t terrified of humans and himself around them, a party like this is nothing he’d enjoy-as introverted as both of them were.

“He’d hate it and honestly I don’t like these things either. But now not only am I miserable trying to socialize at something I knew I’d dislike but he’s completely alone and miserable too.”

The tears pool at the corner of her eyes when she realizes that she’s made the wrong choice having ignored her heart the entire evening. Belle turns from Graham slightly to obstruct his view of her face, wondering when she wasn’t going to ever be near him without already being ready to cry a buckets worth of tears.

A warm hand rests on her shoulder and turns her back to the slightly older man, who looks at her with a knowing gentle look.

“I say you need to follow that gut feeling I just heard come from within just now. If you’re miserable and you want to be with him than just go. Ruby can’t blame you if you want yourself and him to be happy.”

‘He’s right…’ Belle realizes. These expectations she was putting on herself were not helping her like she thought at all. ‘I know I don’t need Rumple to always have a good time or to get by with my life but… I want him with me while we both have a good time-I want him in my life and maybe I just might have to adjust mine for his just like he has for me.’

“Yeah.” Belle has managed to force the tears back away. A new flame burns deep underneath her skin now and fills her back up with the hope and light she holds onto to get by, banishing the dark clouds in their might. “I should go do what I want instead of what _appears_ I need to be doing… Actually, what I need to be doing is making my way back to Av-I-mean his house! There’s still nearly three hours of Halloween left-plenty of time to make it count.”

“Need me to get some crowd control?” Graham quirks a brow with a smirk settled upon his scruffy features.

Belle shakes her head and laughs a bit but gives him a deep look of gratitude. “No need for that… But thank you Graham, you seem to keep helping me out when I really need it.”

“It’s part of my job.” He simply replies. “Just to be on the safe side... Need me to drive you there?” Those blue eyes drift down to the empty cup clutched in hand.

“Oh no-I’ve only had the punch and no at least my cup wasn’t spiked. Thanks again-enjoy the rest of your evening!” Belle turns from him with her quick good bye and is soon off on her slightly wobbly feet (damn these shoes!). There’s nothing holding her back now all she needs to now is tell Ruby good bye and make it to her apartment and then to Avonlea before it’s too late-before she misses to spend even a proper ounce of Halloween with her friend.

She sees Ruby near the makeshift bar once again and pushes through to reach her.

“Ruby!” Belle catches her attention with the slight pleading to her voice and a concerned look crosses over her face. 

“Belle-I was wondering where you ran off to.”

“Hey, I’m sorry but… I’ve got to leave.” Belle states, clutching at her wings before they get bent by some of the people pushing past behind her.

“What? Leave?” Ruby asks, seeming quite disappointed at hearing those words. She sets her drink down on the counter and gets closer to her so they don’t have to nearly yell to each other to hear. “Are you not having fun? Oh god-you’re not having fun are you?”

“Well… Yes, I’m not having much fun unfortunately.” Belle states the truth and Ruby frowns a bit, more than likely upset at the fact that this wasn’t working out for the security guard. “But it’s more than that-I-I have somewhere else I should be instead of here, someone I want to be with.”

“You do? Why didn’t you just say so when I was pestering you about coming?”

“Because he couldn’t come with me here-he’s home alone right now… And I thought what I needed was to be here but it’s not-I want to just relax and enjoy Halloween my way but more importantly I want to do so with him!”

The truth spills out, seeming to free herself from the turmoil that had built up within her the entire day. ‘There’s no where else I want to be than with Rumplestiltskin right now.’ She accepts this still semi mysterious feeling welling up in her because it’s bright and wonderful and more than she had ever thought she’d feel for him.

Ruby’s neutral face widens and next thing Belle knows is that she’s being pushed with Ruby’s help through the crowd toward the exit door she came through. “Well then! You better get going! Though I have to say this mysterious _‘him’_ has me intrigued you’ll have to tell me all about it-after tonight of course!”

“Now come on a girl has to have some secrets.” Belle laughs as she’s managing to slide through the waves of people towards her escape.

“Hey-Belle? Wait-Hey!” A male voice rings above despite the clamor of bodies, music, and voices around her. 

‘Oh god-Garry!’ Belle moans in her head and then locks her jaw together determined to slip away before the man can get near her. Looking back she sees the much taller man trying to make his way over to her, having not as near as much difficulty as she was having. He looked somewhat different than she’d last seen him on graduation (was he even in a costume) but apparently from the sounds of it hadn’t changed personality wise at all.

Ruby still seems to have her back because Belle can see the wolf girl now making her way towards the tall man, sending a quick look back her way with a naughty wink.

“At least leave him alive after your done chewing on him.” Belle chuckles to herself and slips past a line of people and straight out the back door.

The fresh night air hits her and a chill goes in through her toes and up her body. Yet, even with a slight wind pulling at her clothes she doesn’t stop to huddle and keep herself warm. No, even with shaky steps thanks to these nightmarish shoes she’s off and making it towards her car.

First she’s got to make a quick stop to gather some things from her apartment and then she’s going to be off doing what she should have done from the get go, what she had wanted and longed to do from the start of the day.

Celebrate Halloween with her Rumplestiltskin.

—————

It mocks him, the sounds outside that manage to pierce through the walls, however faint they may be. Rumplestiltskin curls up closer to himself, his backside resting against the back door to Avonlea where he’d been seated for a good while ever since Avonlea was abandoned at it’s earlier time of eight PM. It was dead silent now, since the siren for curfew went off and told everyone it was time to go home and call this holiday quits for the year.

Once again he was forced to stand by and miss out on the world outside the foundation and walls of this prison.

‘No-not forced.’ He thinks to himself. Despite knowing the truth the mechanical man was trying so hard to deny it. ‘You’ve broken all your other rules placed upon you except this one-you just don’t because…’

He curls up tighter, gritting his jaw together causing the metal plates to grind against one another and ease the tension building in his joints and parts.

“I should have gone with her. I should have taken her offer. She was so hopeful and considerate, thinking of me despite everything and I-I…” Rumplestiltskin whispers out loud to himself. His half lidded eyes glow dimly, showing the depth of regret within the metal spheres. “Damn it-why am I such a _coward_?”

After Belle had departed that morning, after six tense and uncomfortable hours between them, he had come to regret his choice. He knew he should have no part in that world she belongs in but he couldn’t deny every desire in him to want it. He wanted so desperately to believe that he could leave this place with her and enjoy the things he’s never known but he can’t believe it. Every time he’s ever put hope into something it has come crashing back down upon him, reminding him of what he is and what he can’t have.

That didn’t stop him just an hour ago from attempting just that. He had come to the back door with every intention of breaking the last rule that screams in his skull amidst his programming whenever he approaches any exits leading outside of Avonlea.

**(YOU ARE NOT ALLOWED TO LEAVE AVONLEA.)**

He inhumanly screeched at that pounding reminder flashing in his head and after disarming the alarm he had thrown open the back door from his building rage. Desperately he stood there, willing his mechanical limbs and parts to go beyond the frame-to move across that threshold that he has never once crossed in his entire life.

There is nothing to hold him back any longer-he belongs to no one save himself.

His joints clattered and his shell trembled but not one ounce of his desperate pleas or dreams of leaving was enough to move him.

“MOVE YOU DAMN METAL HUSK! I’m not a piece of property anymore- **I CAN LEAVE DAMN IT! AHHHHHHHHHH-** ”

Not even his simmering anger was enough to counter the absolute fear that coursed through his wires. Imagery of horrible things that could possibly happen if he were to enter that world beyond his own flooded his system in their terrible waves. How much more gore and bloodshed could he cause if he were to try to go out there? Would he lose everything truly if he took the chance?

Lose his life? Lose this small tiny hide away from the cruel world around him? Lose… Belle?

“I can’t… I can’t go out…” He cries to himself, feeling every bit inhuman with this inability to just step outside.

Instead of doing what he could so easily see in his mind, of walking past that door without a care and finally escaping this place, he steps back into the darkness that has been always his and closed the door with a ‘click’ of finality.

**(YOU CAN’T LEAVE. YOU WILL NEVER LEAVE THIS BUILDING.)**

Now he sits here still against the door, listening to the warning tingle in his processors over and over again about him being so close to the exit.

He’s not sure if it’s programming or just ‘himself’ at this point-whatever he exactly is on the inside.

“I hope she’s at least having fun…” It’s the one positive thought he can manage and a small weary smile crinkles across his distorted jaw at the image of Belle. “She deserves it after everything… I just-wish I could see her happy like she no doubt is right now-I wish I could make her as happy as she’s made me.”

The corners of his eye sockets tingle again and he lets out a guff of air to try to ease the bizarre sensation away.

He sits there, segmented arms folded over his knees as he closes his eyes. Imagery of his Noble Knight smiling in some silly costume of some sorts with people laughing and enjoy themselves around her fills his mind. Belle’s face is alight with beauty and vibrant life and it makes the center of his chest drop in utter awe at how incredible those blue eyes are. That laughter he’s come to love plays within his own mind for him to hear it’s lustrous ring and he chokes a bit, trying to understand the recent growing ‘sensation’ overwhelming him.

He should be with her, getting to see this for real instead of made up pictures in his head.

Then suddenly during this quiet dreaming, his eyes shoot open. A head full of wiry grey brown hair flies up and stills against the door, straining to figure out what was setting his other sensor off.

‘Someone is pulling up in the parking lot!’ He realizes, hearing the sound of tires scrapping against the pavement and the rumble of an engine. Quickly, his instinct has him upon his boot clad feet and backing away from the door. ‘Who is coming here at this time of night? Did Mr. Getto forget something-No time to think about that you idiot! Got to hide!’

“Rumple!”

The faint voice doesn’t go over his processors, no he’s most definitely heard that lovely voice he was just listening to beyond the door.

“Belle?” He asks out loud, suprised at this bravery when he’s not one hundred percent sure if it’s even her. Fueling himself with momentary courage he wills himself forward and grabs the door knob. With a swing he opens it back up to see Ms. French teetering on some wobbling steps right up to the door with a heavy bag in tow.

His eyes shoot wide open, concern filling his features as he tries to understand what is exactly going on. “Belle? What are you doing here?” That voice of his is hardly loud at all, too stunted with disbelief.

“Rumple I know I’m not supposed to be here but I had to-”

He sees it well before she does. The angle of her shoe as she hurries over to him, no doubt from the cold air that is whipping her hair all about her face.

Her right foot twists awkwardly and before she knows it she’s tumbling forward right at the door.

Rumplestiltskin reacts instantly.

He launches himself forward, crashing his body straight into hers to prevent even worse damage from occurring to her. A slight yelp comes from her throat as her body clatters right into his but he wraps an arm around her waist while one of her flying hands grips onto the scaled lapels of his leather coat.

“Woah! Almost took a spill right there. These shoes really were not the best idea tonight.” Belle bluntly laughs as she straightens herself right out with his help. That beautiful face he has come to treasure is half hidden from her strewn about locks that are dappled with fake flowers and branches when she looks up at him. “Thank you!”

“Dearest what on earth are you doing here at this time of night?” He’s still worried, so absolutely worried since there’s no reason for her to be here at this time of night on a day off-and with a party she should currently be at. In fact she is no doubt dressed in some halloween costume for that party, it catches his gaze and curious eyes. There is glitter on her cheeks that sparkles prettily and her odd outfit is unlike anything he’s seen-she looks mystical and magical-especially with those thin fake wings spread open upon her back.

He doesn’t pull himself away from the ethereal visage before him, no together they stand right at the mouth of the door with his arms wrapped around her. “Is something wrong-did something happen?” 

She shakes her head still smiling softly with sliver glossed lips. “No, not exactly. I went to that party and everything there was fine-but I wasn’t having a good time and there was no way I was going to have any fun there tonight no matter what I did…”

“Why not?” He squeaks in a tiny voice, still utterly confused over everything happening. ‘She wanted to go and yet she knew she wasn’t going to enjoy herself?’

“I never really wanted to go in the first place, the only reason I said I was… Well…” She’s the one looking nervous now as her small fingers curl even further into the fabric of his vest and coat. “Because I had hoped you’d come along with me. I wanted to show you things and let you experience the world outside but I never stopped and thought about how it wasn’t maybe… Helpful to your situation. More than that-I realized that even if I didn’t want to go to a party I really didn’t want to spend the evening alone…”

She looks up at him, bearing herself wholly to him and it leaves him powerless and awe struck. “Not when I have someone I’d really like to spend it with.”

He blinks at her, his own nervous fingers curling ever so more possessively about her waist while this living creature’s complexion was growing redder by the second.

There’s no way she has come out here all this way to complain about a party and then head off to spend time with someone else-without a doubt, which was something completely new to him, he knew that she was talking about him.

**_‘Me? Belle wants to be with me?!’_ **

“You wish to spend your evening… with me?”

She tucks in her bottom lip, a habit that has some portion of him reeling in a feeling he can’t comprehend. “Absolutely, If that’s alright with you? I know I’m not supposed to be here on my evenings off but if you’re not ready to leave here yet… I can at least make the effort to do that.”

“Ah… I….” He is a fumbling fool now, feeling so utterly floored by this beauty who as chose to give up her fun evening with other lively humans and instead share it with something as lowly as him. Sparks fly within his body and a new sense of confidence has him reaching his arms further around her and then-in a great sweep that is so easy for him to do, she’s completely in his arms.

Belle squeaks a moment at the sudden motion and then wraps her own arms about his shoulders, staring back at his face on the same level. The moon above sending beams down through the doorway makes the glitter and silver gold sparkle even prettier against her fair skin.

“There are some rules here that are long overdue to be broken, dearest…” He whispers on a low hum, catching the small gasp that comes from her and makes him feel more confident than ever before. “There’s nothing more that I’d like than to spend this remaining two hours of Halloween than with with you.”

The truth escapes him and it’s frightening and yet exhilarating at the same time. The shackles holding him back are starting to loosen around him with this little knight turned fairy’s help.

“Good!” Belle laughs a bit seemingly comfortable now in his grasp as she leans her head on his shoulder. “Else I’d be spending the rest of my evening alone as well.”

Rumplestiltskin titters, allowing some of his programmed personality to fester again and help bring him down from this strange ‘airy’ sensation that had taken over. “We can’t have that now can we-though we should continue this well inside, you’re starting to look a little blue.”

“It’s gotten pretty cold out tonight!” Belle mumbles, pressing her face into the jacket underneath her head. The imp hums a moment and then closes the door with his foot before turning back into the darkness to retreat to her office. The weight of her bag bumps against him with each ‘clacking’ step and he gives her an inquiring tilt of head. 

“Oh, my bag. I’ve brought some scary movies with me and my portable DVD player so we could watch them together, it’s still sort of Halloween after all. Sorry that we won’t get to do any pumpkin carving or fun activity like that, but we have this at least.”

Since he’s being so brave all of a sudden he takes another chance as he walks up to the office door and gently sets her back on her feet-missing her body against his already. “Maybe next year we’ll be able to? Carve silly orange gourds I mean.” He replies in an impish voice, hoping he’s at least sounding humorous enough that she won’t catch the worry lingering at the back of his vocal box.

Hope beams from her then and there as she steps back from him, clutching at the strap of her bag. “I sure hope so.”

Together they both wander into the comfort of her well lit office space absorbing the light that makes both of them sparkle and glitter a bit more than usual tonight. In the better light the animatronic can study her costume further, especially the wings that face him.

“Though I have to say, dearest. I never thought I’d be watching horror movies with such a small wee fairy tonight.”

“You figured out my costume pretty easy, do you like it?” Belle asks, twirling a bit for him to see better and his eyes drift to her backside of that flared cut skirt and down those curvy legs that are well out of hiding today. His system skips a moment and he’s wondering if she might short circuit him yet tonight. “It’s kind of my own play on the usual fairy. I had picked it out since you’re an ‘imp’ and I thought we’d both be fae together.”

He is touched but refuses to be turned into another embarrassing shy puddle of a machine. “Yuck! Don’t lump me in with fairies as if imps and them are in the same family. I’m don’t even resemble any of the sort.”

“What? Is there something wrong with fairies now too?” Belle asks with a quirked brow and amusement on her pressed full lips.

Rumplestiltskin fumbles and purses his mouth a bit trying to remain the aloof dealmaker despite how flustered he’s getting over her adorable get up.

“One of the animatronics from my early years was a bothersome fairy-such nasty little thing. Aways had it out for ‘that evil trickster’ when we did performances. Though now I guess I can’t say all fairies are bad, but I will be glad when you are a knight again.”

“Same, my feet are killing me already tonight and my legs are freezing.” The security guard with wings groans taking them off as well as those deadly shoes while curling up on the couch with legs tucked beneath her. 

“Here, dearest.” Rumplestiltskin steps over to the large cabinet in the corner and with draws a large fleece lined coat for her to at least have some form of extra warmth. Belle takes it eagerly and settles even further into the soft cushion of the couch.

A hand appears beneath the coat and pats the spot next to her in offering for him and he gladly accepts, seating himself next to Belle. Rifling through her bag, Rumplestiltskin watches as Belle withdraws several DVD cases and hands them to him. 

“Oh I have no clue what we should watch you should pick one out-but just as a forewarning… I’m not a big fan of scary movies, I might scream randomly if it gets too bad.”

“Then why watch them if they scare you?” The imp asks in a confused blurt and the fairy beside him just giggles a bit. “Ah, yes you humans and your strange puzzling ways… I say I’ve never watched a horror movie myself but if we must watch these I say… Let’s watch this one.” He holds up a copy of what appears to be called ‘Alien’ with it’s dark, green, and simple cover.

The lights are turned off thanks to him and before Rumplestiltskin knows it the tiny little human seated beside him is pressed up against his side as they stare at the small screen of a portable DVD player between them. He quirks his head to catch her already semi guarded expression against the movie and bites back his own need to laugh.

Who would think that this little brave security guard would be terrified of fictional rubber masked monsters and yet in her fear turn to an actual mechanical monstrous fiend for comfort? It was utterly baffling to him and yet so simple and understandable. She was the one and only amazing Belle French-nothing else to add to that.

“Thank you… For everything.” He says on the lowest setting for his voice he could and yet even through the eerie intro playing before them the woman leaning against him as well as snacking on some of her own baked treats had somehow heard.

“Huh? What did you say?”

The machine stiffens and wonders if he can be as courageous as he had been earlier tonight. ‘Be brave you bucket of bolts!’

“Thank you.” He manages a lot louder this time and stares with his wide eyes straight ahead, pass the screen and out the doorway. “For everything… For spending the night with me and for sharing part of this silly holiday.”

‘And thank you for not leaving me alone… I… Don’t know if I can ever go back to living the way I did before, all those years alone… Not ever since I’ve met you.’

“Of course-and thank you Rumple.” She practically purrs and presses closer to him, startling him ever so slightly and causing the gears to rotate a bit faster within his chest.

“What for, dearest?”

“For putting up with me and my stubbornness, not many people care to do that.”

He huffs and with a great strain against everything nervously bubbling up within him puts his arm around her shoulder and brings her closer to himself.

“Please, you are the most inquisitive and peculiar creature I’ve ever met but hardly the most off-putting… I can assuredly say _they_ are the ones missing out.”

It’s silent a few more moments as the movie finally starts to properly move along-but he’s hardly able to focus on it just right now. Instead, he blurts one last thing he’s been meaning to say since he’s seen her running towards the back door.

“Happy Halloween Belle.”

She smiles widely, he sees it from the corner of his eye.

“Happy Halloween Rumple.”

 


	14. Chapter 14

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fourteen years ago, on a rainy night, a person and a machine met for the very first time in the dark lonely world of Avonlea after hours. Now, fourteen years later that night reoccurs in its own way amidst the falling rain-except this time, the machine is not ready to let her go.

It’s night time, he knows this to be true because once again the building has returned to it’s quiet state. It’s silent, save for the faint pitter patter of rain pelting the roof and echoing down bellow. Surely now all the human visitors are long gone, the employees as well, having went home to their loved ones and to spend another night in a warm bed, resting for another day out in their wide world.

The quiet is soothing to Rumplestiltskin’s concerned and practically paranoid programming. He’s grown to appreciate the thick silence and the comfort of night more so with every passing year. It is because he has free reign over the building and is no longer cooped up in the back of a closet hiding from all who might see him that he ‘feels’ this way.

Yet he can’t deny that a small part of him, the theatrical imp who had once been a performer and had managed to make a few kids laugh, misses being apart of that world beyond his sanctuary.

How many years now has it been since he’s been here in this building altogether? And how many has he spent a forgotten hunk of metal and broken parts hiding between walls and far from the light? What he truly wants to know is how many more years can he go on like this-existing in this state of utter isolation. The machine doesn’t think he can handle being so purposeless for years on end anymore, he needs something-anything at all to prove to him his ‘moving and conscious body’ is worth something.

What’s the point of a machine who can’t fulfill it’s duty or be of any use? Exactly none. He is better off being torn apart for pieces and sold amongst junk than going about the way he does night after night.

Yet the mechanical man is too afraid to face what ‘deactivation’ might mean. A small portion of what is him clings to this existence with a desperate desire to see the next day… Even if he only ever sees moon light.

A clatter of thunder over head brings his attention back to the world around him and not within. The sound of nature outside is soothing though he hates to admit that the booming echo rattles him slightly. ‘A machine afraid of thunder… how silly.’ Rumplestiltskin thinks whimsically to himself, finding he’s starting to understand what is more him than the programing he has been subdued with from the start.

It’s as he strolling along through the small back hall that he hears the peace he has longed for all day shatter into pieces.

His auditory sensors perk up at the faint noise and increase their sensitivity setting. Fake eye lids fling wide open as he stills, hunched together into himself as if to better conceal himself in the pitch black.

There is someone here. Someone inside Avonlea this late at night… How? Why?

The fear reboots itself within the system in his head and he is ready to turn back and flee into the safe room and hide away that very second. He can’t be found-if he’s found they’ll make sure he’s destroyed for sure. One of his boot clad feet already has him pivoting on the spot and back the other direction towards the closest he calls his own.

It’s pathetic, the plea that cries out through his skull. ‘No! I don’t want to-to-not exist!’

But this driving urge to scurry off and hide like a dirty rat drifts off into the air when he realizes that what he’s hearing is not what he thinks it is. No, it’s not the sound of an adult wandering in the nearby back door, not Mr. Getto returning for whatever reason he might have…

There is a child crying softly in the distance but clearly within the very walls he is standing between.

‘What… What is a child doing here? At this time of night?’ Rumplestiltskin wonders, still shocked and frozen right in place despite the growing worry sparking within his husk. ‘A child? A child in Avonlea after hours! It’s against the rules! What kind of parent could let such a thing happen!’

He likes children despite the horrible incident, the one that comes back to light against his every desire, digging into his mind, haunting him relentlessly day after day. Though most kids were afraid of him, which they were sort of meant to be-he had been the stage play’s ‘villain’ after all, he had managed to make some smile and many laugh when he had been a true performer. Crying kids made something… Strange occur in his operating system. It made a sort of error that had him quickly responding in reply to do anything to make them happy or relinquish those salty streaks of water pouring down their cheeks.

He loved children and hated seeing or hearing them being so sad.

‘No-No kids should be crying at Avonlea! That’s another rule! Kids shouldn’t be left unattended! I must go to them-must fix this situation but I shouldn’t. I might make them even more frightened!’

He can’t deny this urgency welling up within his gears and joints, and before he knows it, he’s ‘clacking’ down the hall to the source of the noise. It appears the crying child must not be paying attention to the sounds around them, because even as he grows closer to where they-where she is, it’s a girl’s voice, she does not stop the flood of sobbing.

The mechanical monster turns around the corner to the main party room, which was lined up with decorations for the big birthday party being held tomorrow, and eyed his surroundings. Everything was decently kept as usual, with only minor offenses being pieces of trash here or there. He found no source of the sound near the dark arcade cabinets in the adjacent open room, nor amongst the tables so readily prepared for partying children in the upcoming hours.

Glowing amber eyes flicker across the floor but quickly blink out and fall into darkness after landing upon the huddled shape of a girl on the small tiny stage. She lays on her side right next to the stage corner and against the red thick curtain, shaking with her sobs as she cries into her little dress and the wrapped bundle in her arms. Small trails of water puddle here and there on the floor to where she lay-so she must have gotten here very late in the evening since it hadn’t started raining till near closing.

A small tear filled voice breaks the quiet. “W-why did you leave-leave-me all alone? I thought you loved me… But maybe I-I was wrong… W-w-why?”

The machine quietly steps back around the corner of a wall till only his head lingers in line of vision with her. Rumplestiltskin was staring at the small human with a fake face void of emotion, trying to understand what was occurring here, this scene that should not be and yet is. The pleading cries wrangling out from her small throat had pieces in his chest whirling and grinding together in a manner most unpleasant.

‘No one, especially a little one, should be crying like that!’

She makes no move to get up and for a long while he just stands and watches with unblinking eyes as her little shoulders shake with her sobbing in this nearly pitch black dark.

‘Why little one? Why are you here?’ He thinks to himself well within the confines of his own head-not daring to make a peep unless he wanted to frighten the poor creature even further than what she was. No doubt such a ugly monstrous figure as his would bring no comfort to her in this already scary situation. ‘How can I help this little one at all? I can’t just walk away, nor go about my business pretending she’s not here…’

Then she cried out-in a most needy call and for the first time ever, Rumplestiltskin thought he knew what pain felt like as a foreign sensation shot through his metal steel caged chest.

_“Mom… W-why did you leave me?”_

—————

Lightning crackles far off into the distance and is faintly seen thanks to the darkness of heavy fat clouds.

“Looks absolutely dreadful out.” Rumplestiltskin hums his thoughts out loud. Staring past the thick pane of window into the outside of Avonlea, the impish machine observes the trees bending and blowing thanks to the storm raging beyond the glass. The beginning of November was already getting a tad chilly but it was still too warm for snow, so the pouring rain was just awfully cold… At least according to the security guard who had just recently had to run wildly through it to the backdoor to escape the fat droplets from drenching her to the bone.

The animatronic turned his head slightly, metal joints creaking, to gaze from the corner of his socket to the young woman who was still a bit damp but drying at one of the break room tables. It was another week night as usual and Belle still was always tending to her duty as security guard. ‘As if rain was going to stop her.’ A warm thermal of tea sits between her hands and the machine smiled a bit at the soft content look on her face as she rolled the container between her palms.

“It’s been like that all day-I hear it’s going to keep raining tomorrow too.” Belle sighs.

Yes it will, and so tonight is no night for him to give his current ambitions a try. Despite that, he still longingly looks out the window and tries to imagine what it might be like at all to have rain pelt him as it did the concrete and trees. He’s never even stuck his hand out the door to feel the bouncing sensation hum through his semi hollow exoskeleton. 

Ever since Halloween with Belle, and her selfless act of giving up her night to spend it with him (regardless if it was what she desired and chose to do of her own accord), he has found the desire to attempt to finally leave this place grow into heights he had never felt before. Already he has tried to leave several nights now, in the hour before Belle arrives to work. The animatronic man has stood at the back door and attempted to walk straight out of this place he has never left. The fear was still overwhelming though, and no matter how hard he tried nor how many reasons he gave himself to walk even just a few steps past the door he couldn’t.

It rung in his head, the error warnings, taunting him without a lick of malicious intent in its code.

**(YOU CAN NOT LEAVE AVONLEA.)**

He choses to focus on something else for the time being than his utter failures of trying to free himself from this place that is not so much home as much as it is a prison…

“Not too fond of the rain, dearest?” The imp asks Belle, his nasally voice seeming flat and uninterested, but his auditory sensors were on high to pick up her voice even if it were a mere whisper.

“Actually, I do love the rain despite it being troublesome sometimes. I might not be able to appreciate it much like when I was a kid but it’s still so lovely. Nothing beats the sound or smell of fresh rain… Well, maybe the smell of new books beats it, but that might just be me.”

‘Ah yes of course, the smell of books would be the most enchanting to this  _Literary Knight_.’ The imp smiles widely, his pointy teeth showing slightly from within his distorted maw.

Rumplestiltskin turns from the window and walks closer to her, curiosity shimmering in his artificial eyes. It’s so odd, how these little talks with Belle are what he looks forward to every week day, even if the topic is something as simple as the weather outside. “So the smell of rain… Is truly pleasant? You are not the first person I have heard say that before.”

Belle blinks a moment in thought as if he has perplexed her. “Oh. I forgot you can’t smell.” She states this as if it’s of no sort and the animatronic is baffled by this reoccurrence of faltering memory. Consistently the woman was forgetting that he was not flesh and blood like her. Part of him felt it was surely a barb meant to wound him while the majority of him felt that it could be no such thing. In fact it made him feel… Good.

“Nor can I taste and exactly feel.” Rumplestiltskin adds with a slight quirky noise. The security guard gives a small laugh and the chair she sits in squeaks as she adjusts herself into a proper sitting position. 

“Let me see if I can put it into another description that you might be able to comprehend.” The security guards eyebrows furrow a bit in concentration and then those blue eyes close. “The smell of rain is like… like… Hearing a beautiful melody. Over all that melody kind of sounds sad, you can hear violins strumming in the background of the track, ever so haunting and laced with melancholy with each strum. There is peppy high notes just as much as the lows though-you can hear great drum strikes sending parts of the song into a lovely beat of passion and life.” Rumplestiltskin stares at her a bit transfixed as she explores this sense in a new light, one he has and can understand.

“Together they can create the most amazing melodies from heart-aching songs to delightful tunes. God, that sounds so silly forgive me for that, I am no musical expert but I thought I’d try… Personally the sound of rain makes me think of a memory…”

Rumplestiltskin stiffens completely where he stands. His eyelids disappear entirely in his surprise and he quickly focuses his entire attention onto the small cactus sitting on the adjacent counter. Desperately he needs something to balance himself from whirling about to her in question.

Silence hovers there, weighing down the air more than he’d like. A bit of metal scrapes in his throat as he tries to form some words from his scrambled mind.

“Do… Do you recall this memory?” There is a quiver there, much against his will. Memories instantly snap back into place within his head and he wonders if this is finally the moment in which she will take notice of that one point in time.

How funny is it that it’s raining just like then… Just like that night.

“Yeah. It was a good memory I had back as a kid, from my time in Australia.” Belle softly says and the imp relaxes, though his fingers kneed at something intangible between the digits to calm his nerves. “It was when… Well…”

Her voice cuts off and this is what pulls Rumplestiltskin back towards her. He’s not sure how but whenever the aching hold of loneliness or sadness washes over her, he just knows its there and is drawn to her. It’s always been that way apparently. 

When the machine does look toward the seated woman he sees a distant look barred across her face. Those rosy lips are a thin line and the youthful glow disappears, reminding him so much of how mortal and human she is.

Time moves on as always but it does so much more for her than its ever has for him. Fourteen years had passed like nothing in the machine’s stand still world but everything for this woman has changed entirely.

“It was when your mother was alive wasn’t it.” He states in an all too human like voice, the usual trickster and deal maker is clearly absent.

“What?” Belle’s voice cuts through the air like a knife and the imp instantly steps back on his boot clad feet from her, as if to flee. Blue eyes are looking at him in shock but the sharp look softens to one of confusion. “I’ve never told you that my mother died.”

He falters.

“I-I assumed…” He forced out, not meeting her gaze any longer as he decided to stroll back towards the window with the rain still tapping against it. “You never talk about her. Your dad, sure enough I’ve heard about Mr. Moe French and his little flower shop filled with plants and more silly cactuses… But never her. And you must have had one! You humans require a biological mother in order to be produced after all!” A titter eases out of his metal throat then, trying to bring back some comical quality to the mood.

“I never realized that I hadn’t told you, but yes… She did die quite a few years ago, before I moved here to the states with my father.” Belle gently says from behind him. 

Everything in him is begging him to turn back around and just spill his nonexistent guts. To tell her how he already knows that surely her mother has been dead and gone for quite some time. He doesn’t do it though. Even though he knows it is not right of him to keep it a secret he does because if he admits everything to her then surely she’ll remember the pain of that night and of the thing… She lost.

‘You selfish greedy monster. It’s not yours. You promised to give it back if the girl returned and here you are keeping it even though against all odds she did come back.’

Suddenly, much to both of their surprise a loud clap of thunder broke overhead. It’s booming sound rattled the ceiling, making both human and machine flinch in response and then laugh lightly at themselves. Rumplestiltskin turns back to his Knight and sees her holding her head up with one hand now, no longer looking so sullen.

“You know it’s a rainy day today.” The lovely woman hums and the machine tilts his head owlishly. “You said you save those tokens for a rainy day, remember? Why not make today game night? We haven’t had it in a while and I highly doubt any… Intruder will try to make it in here with that mess going on outside.”

That past topic still hangs heavy between them and he quickly nods, wanting to avoid thinking about it too much or relive the guilt from that terrifying night.

Bravely, despite the foreboding topic, he meets her gaze once again. “I think that sounds like a lovely idea, dearest… Why don’t I go and set up the arcade area for us and you go get the tokens? Nyeh?” He smiles at her, and somehow his lopsided rotten toothy grin makes her own lips curl back upwards. “I’ll show you the trick of the trade at Burger time and make you a champion-If you win of course.”

“Sounds like a plan, so long as I win though…” The security guard gets up and moves toward him, tucking her hands behind her back and leaning forward. Unknowingly this stance puts her silly but charming bow tie on display, issuing a faint chuckle from him. But more than that… He can’t help but admire how lovely she looks, especially being a tad bit damp from the moisture outside. The imp quickly fights back those odd embarrassing thoughts that have become far more reoccurring lately than he’d like. 

“What is it that you want though if you were to say, win? Though don’t get your hopes up.” Belle oozes, looking smug as if she was already planning their night of Burger Time lessons and general victory speech.

The question catches him off guard. He’s not sure what he desires in this wager-he hadn’t really thought of it since he had not been expecting them to ‘battle it out tonight’. There’s not much he ‘need’s or can ‘have’ since he is no living creature. He can’t possibly wager for more clothes since he has no means of an equal wager in response, though he desires more than his currently worn set and the one shirt she got him that he can’t bring himself to wear in fear of ruining it. He has become more aware of his state of clothes, their unsightly holes and tears, in recent weeks and it shames him that he can not look as fine or regal as he desires to in front of his Knight.

‘What do I desire then?’

The mechanical man glances back down from the ceiling to Belle’s face. She is awaiting his response, Rumplestiltskin sees his Knight peer at him kindly and this small intimate distance thus causes his processors to momentarily glitch and freeze. Lovely bright blue eyes the color of a cloudless sky beneath dark eyelashes are looking straight at his ugly fake amber orbs set in metal slots. But more than that, it’s the curious and playful drawn expression of hers that he has grown to cherish and admire that loosens the stiffness of his joints.

‘What I desire… I desire…’ The animatronic is leaning forward slightly without his full knowledge. His eyes dart from her face and focus on the full lips he has longed to be touched by again for a good while now. A new sensation-one that is not of pain nor of simple joy is curling through the wires within his body. 

‘I desire…’

He’s not sure when his face suddenly got so close to hers in this short frame of time, nor when her bashful look had turned to one of shock. Its unease that surely is spread across her face now. This apparent horror she must be feeling being so close to him suddenly pulls him from doing whatever it was that he was being compelled to do.

‘What was I doing? Was I-No! Push those thoughts away!’

He does by stepping back in a giddy impish fashion, withdrawing his nervous self within the confines of this persona he feels so much safer behind.

“I suppose if I win I’d like for you… To shine my boots till they sparkled!” A giggle peels its way out of the metal imp’s vocal mechanism and he puts a hand up to his own mouth to push at his own amusement. Inside he is far more nervous and confused about what he was almost trying to do-whatever it was. ‘She looked so utterly distraught-What the hell was I thinking!’

Belle leans back, her brows rising back down from shock or fear as she studies him. Her gaze drops to his feet and back up to the rest of his person. “Your boots are scuffed to death-there’s no way I could make them sparkle again. Remind me to work on getting you some new boots in the future by the way.”

Rumplestiltskin flinches a bit, shocked at the ease she goes about caring for him, her selflessness just seems far too improbable for a human to have. Though the shame returns once more to bite at him being unable to provide for himself or for her.

“We don’t have to go to such extremes yet. I mean you’d have to give it an actual try to be sure, wouldn’t you?” A flourish of his hand makes the woman laugh again. “And trust me-I have no intention of losing tonight. You might as well get to untying my boots right now.”

—————

She stands at the window, looking out for what has to be the one hundredth time. Early on she’d attempted to count how many times she’d walked over to peer through the glass but now she just sits there in her chair, continuously turning her head, waiting and watching. 

It’s misting out right now, not nearly as awful weather as the forecast on the TV had said it would be-yet. She can’t go out though, her father told her it would be bad and so now she was cooped up inside. All she wants to do right now is leave this house that she doesn’t consider home-it’ll never be home no matter how hard her father tries to make it be that way.

They shouldn’t be here at all, at least not today.

The dark horrible feeling is welling up inside her as it had been on and off since she woke up. Belle wants so desperately to know why her father is going about his life as if there is nothing abnormal about this significant June day. It would never be just another June day again, no it was stained and tainted forever.

Fighting back a sniffle, Belle brushes at her tied back bundle of hair, trying to sooth herself. She’s already cried several times this morning and the tears have kept her cheeks sticky and flushed.

She cries and mourns because it’s the day that…

‘Why aren’t we even going back home to at least visit her?’ She cries within her own head. ‘We should haven been on a plane back to Australia yesterday-why is he not letting us go and visit her?’

So, little Belle sits by the window side, forlorn and distant from the warmth of her own home. She’s so distracted and hurting that even the worn book being held tightly in her hands goes by practically forgotten. This is what her mother must have felt like day in and day out in the hospital… Trapped and unable to do anything to escape the confines that was keeping her captive within some place that was devoid of all true comfort. 

A bird passes by on its tiny wings, fluttering itself into the branches of a tree she can see at this window.

Oh how Belle wishes she had wings! Great big mighty feathered wings that could fly her up high even against her fathers wishes and take her to her true home for a least a day to say…

‘I miss you… I miss you so much.’

She doesn’t have wings, she’s just a girl stuck in an apartment, awaiting for something to happen.

It’s not until the day becomes late, the sun nearly gone, that she moves from her spot against the upper apartment window that over looks the rather dreary looking rainy Storybrooke. Hunger gnaws at her gut and Belle manages to eat at least a bit of food to quell the pain though an ache rests there that she can not soothe.

Then, the front door to the apartment opens and Belle stands stock still as her father enters the house. She can tell something is off about him today and she is not wrong when she sees him stumble forward slightly, nearly tripping on the halls rug. 

He’s drunk as can be-and it shocks her because she hasn’t seem him like that in a while, not since they moved here to Storybrooke anyways. He’d promised her he’d keep away from the stuff and he had kept to his word much to her happiness-till now.

She can smell it as he passes by the kitchen door way, while he is busy shrugging off his coat and draping it over part of their couch.

“Hey Blue-Belle did you keep busy today?” He asks gently, turning slightly to look at her with semi glassy eyes. The small girl is not sure how to respond, he looks wrecked beyond repair but she has hardly had an easy day herself either.

“Yes, I tried to… I couldn’t go out cause of the rain.” She says firmly and quickly causing her father’s small forced smile to fall into a faint frown.

He father moves and sits down heavily on the couch, hung over himself as if burdened with some invisible thing she can’t see.

“Are we…” Belle begins but she is not sure how to continue saying what she wants to say. She’s getting angry with her father and the way he has acted the entire day, not to mention finding he has broken a promise he made clear he would not. At breakfast he spoke nothing of mother-not even just a soft sigh in her direction. He’d stated no plan in order for them to follow-nothing of the sort.

It appears she will have to be the one to bring this topic up from its buried grave. “Are we going to do something for mom… Since it’s…”

“No.” Her father says even more quickly than she had spoken just before. He sits up tighter and Belle feels her anger instantly surge forth at the clear irritation in his own eyes-it taking over all other sense. “Your grandmother and grandpa have it covered. I’m sure they’ll be setting flowers out for her.”

“Wait! So, you’re going to just pretend that today means nothing then!” Belle shouts at him, curling her small fingers into the folds of her dress tightly. “You’ve been off all day d-drinking! And I’ve been home alone! You’ve said not a word about her at all and now-”

“I had somewhere I had to be today and I… I’m sorry I broke my promise to you Belle, I regret giving in so easy… I’m also sorry I couldn’t spend the day with you sweetie.”

“No you’re not sorry!” Belle snaps back, her temper flaring and burning while also making her feel so childish. The girl had always prided herself on how level headed she kept in most situations but this was not most situations. This was about her mother after all.“You just-just didn’t want to tell me to my face that we’re not going back home to visit mom! I’m not stupid.”

Her father stood up from the couch, turning towards her with anger evident in his flushed face. Stumbling a bit more her father steps around the couch, holding onto it as if it were a life line for a drowning man.

“We can’t. There’s no point in going back there and you know it.”

“Of course there is! I want to see mom! I don’t know if you still love her but I do!” Belle cries out, feeling the tears prickle back up in her eyes again. It feels like with her parents she still understands absolutely nothing of them at all. She doesn’t know why her mother and father fell from such a loving marriage to one filled with hate, nor why her father had in that time kept staying out longer from home, she didn’t know why mom… Mom had become so sick from the pills and had done such terrible things to herself…

Or why she… Chose to leave them both.

“She’s dead Belle. A-all that’s left of your mother is dirt in the ground and a slab of rock with her name on it!” Her father harshly says straight to her face with a breath tined by drink and Belle flinches in place, staring in fear at the man who has taken care of her all these years. Not once has her father lashed out like this towards her-no a few years back he was the one who had to hold her after her mother had acted out from her unbalanced mind. “D-do you really want to go all the way back there… Just to look at a grave of a woman who clearly… didn’t care about you or me?” His words slurred a bit but their bite and hurt was still painful.

Belle choked a bit on her tears and snot as she shook her head.  “You’re wrong… Mom… Mom did care about us! She was just sick, the doctor said so!”

The heart ache is too much to bear. There is no way she can believe what her father has spoken of is true. ‘Mom loved me-she love dad too! I don’t know why… Why she chose to leave…’ Belle couldn’t keep this rage and hurt bottled up anymore, what eleven year old could? So she chose the only thing she could take her anger out on, unknowing and unable to comprehend this situation in its entirety. 

“YOU’RE THE ONE WHO DIDN’T CARE! YOU’RE THE REASON SHE’S GONE AREN’T YOU!”

The hit is something she doesn’t see but the blow leaves her reeling on her feet. Her father had snaked out his hand and struck her straight across the cheek, leaving her to wobble on her feet and then drop to her knees without a word slipping past her lips.

It’s the first time he’s ever hit her… Ever hurt her like that.

Tentatively, Belle reached a hand to her stinging face, feeling more tears immediately bubble up despite her not wanting to shed any at all-especially not because of some physical pain.

“Oh my god… Belle-I’m so sorry sweetie!” Her father instantly begins pleading and she can hear the tears already in his voice. Glancing up, Belle can see regret clear in his shimmering wet eyes and the way his shoulders shake. Yet she’s terrified now and furious over him thinking he can just say sorry and it would be okay.

Mom was still dead, they still weren’t seeing her on the third anniversary of her death, and he had still hit her.

Belle darts up to her feet and rushes back to her room, slamming the door behind herself and not once looking back while doing so. She fights off the tears, and instead focuses her pain and fury on something else. As she sits curled up in a corner against her bed, she waits to see if he father will come after her with relentless apologies and knocks at her door till she answered.

He doesn’t.

Twenty minutes pass and her father never approached her room. His hefty steps creak down the hall, causing her to look up from her knees, but the steps head towards his own room and Belle hears the sound of the door close under her held breath.

Somehow that makes it all the more painful. 

It’s then she realizes that she can’t stay here-not in this house that isn’t even home.

Belle brushes at her burning cheek, biting back the ache. Instead she gets up from the floor, feeling slightly nauseous but determined. Her little feet take her about her room as she grabs her small jacket and her outdoor shoes meant for such awful rainy days like this one. She’s all about ready to leave when her eyes catch sight of the book she’d been holding onto earlier in the day.

Large blue eyes shimmer heavily with emotion as she looks at the true last thing she had of her mothers. Belle had been planning on reading this book to her mom when she had thought they’d be going back to visit, since her mother had always relented to her pleading as a little one and read it to her. It’d always been one of her favorite tales and… Belle very much missed hearing the soft lulling voice tell it.

Gently, as if holding something far more fragile than a simple hard bound book, Belle clutches it her arms and leaves her room. Upon silent steps she moves towards the living room and then the front door. The door opens and creaks even upon her slow tug and Belle feels her heart pound wildly in her chest.

Nothing… Her fathers door doesn’t open, but it’s not as if he’d care if she left, it certainly feels like it.

So she does. The door closes behind her with a fairly loud click and before Belle knows it she’s out and about in the spitting weather that tugs at her jacket and locks of hair. Worried over the book, Belle tucks it beneath her jacket and then begins on bolting steps to gain some distance from the flower shop and apartment.

Maybe if she just runs hard enough and far enough she can make it back home, to where her mother lays forgotten, rotten, and cold in the ground.

That’s not possible of course, even if she’s a child she knows that. As she runs, and as the spitting rain starts to grow more heavy and fat, she tries to figure out just where in the world she’ll go then. There is no where else left for someone like her-not nearby at least. She doesn’t have any real friends here yet she could go to and ask to stay the night. Besides, their parents would call her father right away and she’d be in huge trouble as well as damp and wet for nothing.

Then, a certain place comes to mind. ‘It’s still early enough.’ she realizes. ‘They don’t close until ten PM anyways.’ At least there she can find some refuge from the cold world that is nipping at her heels.

Belle’s breath is heavy gasps and pants as she runs down the main street of Storybrooke and later as she is cutting through yards and houses once she gets into the neighborhoods beyond downtown. No one seems to notice her from houses or cars passing by and for that she is grateful.

Though she is young and spry, and an active girl she is forced to walk the last portion of distance in her journey. Yet, her weary tired eyes flicker up and light up in relief when she sees the neon sign shimmering in the distance.

And so she continues on in the direction of Avonlea.

—————

It looks as if tonight will be another ‘great battle’ between Rumplestiltskin and herself, Belle hums in amusement. Well, it actually is a rainy day and she thought it’d be best for the two of them to spend time enjoying themselves than thinking about… Well more or less things they’d rather not.

Honestly, it shocked her when she realized that she hadn’t told a thing about her mother to the animatronic being she called friend, and close friend at that. Apparently she’d been not following her own code of being open and truthful as she found herself scurrying from the painful topic as fast as she could.

Instead of focusing on that for now, the security guard shifted her attention on her task at hand. After getting her instructions Rumplestiltskin, who was acting more peculiar and unlike himself tonight and thus confusing herself further with that odd peculiar moment, Belle went about getting the tokens for the arcade machines. The security guard went through the maintenance room door and moved back towards the area where the secret moveable panel was located only to suddenly stop in her tracks as she touched the metal.

‘Rumplestiltskin’s never allowed me to go into his hideaway alone before.’ The fact suprised her even further and Belle found a slight bubble of warmth spread through her chest.

So into the little space she went after revealing the entrance. With flashlight in hand she was certain to be careful of the ledge she stepped over and managed to do so without tripping up as she always seemed to. Once inside the small room again she reached over for the lamp and turned it on, illuminating the tiny space.

It saddened her every single day, how contained and caged Rumplestiltskin was. During the night he had his free reign but during most of the hours in a day he was cooped up with nothing to do nor any company at all. It brought her back to her thoughts on how she might try to help Rumplestiltskin grow confident enough in himself to leave… But she recalled that was something she couldn’t force upon him. The animatronic had to find his own pace and path, he had to choose for himself if he could leave this place-not her.

Desperately she hoped in the depths of her beating heart that he’d want to leave and would choose to go with her… She couldn’t quit this job and move on to something else this upcoming year knowing he was still stuck inside this place with no company or care at all. 

The frightening and alarming fact still remained, she and him belonged together.

A sigh escaped her lips and she shook her head at herself yet again and returned to her task once more. Belle easily found the tin can of tokens that Rumplestiltskin coveted, like a dragon and his own pile of gold. Her usual curious eyes roamed the shelves, looking for anything new and shiny amidst the clutter of ‘personal treasures’ or ‘odds and ends’ the imp had been attracted to. Nothing was amiss and nothing seemed particularly new to her.

But a small shine of silver beneath the very bottom of the make shift shelves caught her eye. Belle bent down, setting the can aside and pulled the object out from underneath.

“Oh…” She gasped slightly, recalling exactly what this was. It was the dented metal tin she had seen once before. The same one that the mechanical being who owned it had snapped at her and panicked about in an frenzy at the time.

_‘You can look at everything but just not this…’_

The words he had spoken came back within her mind as she gazed at it, curiosity brimming in those pools of blue eyes.

‘I can’t.’ She thinks harshly to herself, for even entertaining the thought of peaking inside. ‘I promised him I’d respect his privacy and he deserves it just as much as me. After all, he didn’t go prying about my mother just moments ago when he could have…’

Belle moves to stand back up, take the tin can of tokens and just leave but something pulls her back down to her knees.

What could possibly be inside that Rumplestiltskin would snap at her in absolute dread and demand her not to look at?

Was it… Answers to the mystery that hung about Avonlea? About that incident many many years ago with the young child getting hurt? Could it be more about him-where he came from?

All these questions came bubbling back up into her mind and Belle was fighting desperately with herself on what to do. Part of her was pleading and keening to not go through with opening and looking at it. ‘You promised him! You don’t break promises!’

Yet part of her was desperate to know the mystery that lay within-to try and understand the mechanical imp she called friend and possibly help him. ‘If you look quickly he won’t even know-just one peek and you’ll be fine.’

Her rash nature won out against the conscious that stilled it’s pleading voice but hung it’s head in shame.

Carefully, Belle checked over her shoulders to the half open panel, listening to the sounds out in the room beyond and in the hall. There is no usual ‘clacking’ steps that alerted her to Rumplestiltskin’s presence and so she turns back to the small tin at her feet. The security guard grabs the box gently, with a care that one would never think to have with such a beaten and rubbish object-it’s his after all, and she will care for it with the same kindness he has.

Her fingers tremble at the latch, with one quick look over her shoulder again she moves to open it. The metal lid makes a small popping sound when it’s released and Belle speedily sets it aside to her, not making a sound as she sets it on the concrete ground.

The heart in her chest beats a bit faster as she wills herself to look within the box and know just what it is that the animatronic has kept safely tucked away all this time.

Within the box lies… Pictures. Lots of old styled pictures-the kind that were produced from a camera that instantly developed them. Amidst the photographs were also newspaper clippings from what had apparently been a very old newspapers, with the way the edges curled and were aged brown and yellow.

It’s sort of anti climatic really, and Belle eases a breath of relief when she realizes this is truly nothing to be fearful of. That curiosity swelling within doesn’t hesitate to have her start looking at these things though.

Belle grabs one of the photos and examines it. The photograph is of a group of kids sitting at one of the older styled tables she recollects, ones way before the renovations or remodeling of Avonlea. They’re celebrating a birthday party obviously and Belle smiles softly tucking the photo back within. She picks up another one and her eyes widen a bit when she sees an animatronic she’s never seen before. It looks like a fairy, hardly modeled as well as the ones currently in Avonlea or even Rumplestiltskin (who is so unlike any of them at all). A kid in a princess outfit stands next to the fairy, showing her teeth in a grin while the fairy smiles an unaware smile upon its artificial visage.

All these photographs are involved with Avonlea and flipping through them faster Belle gets an image of the world of this family fun center she has never seen. The animatronics Rumplestiltskin has spoken of are all there, the fairy, the prince, the princesses, and the evil queen. All of these machines stand looking vacant and forcefully cheerful but shiny and new, with kids clamoring to take pictures with them as kids liked to do.

However, there are no photos, no matter where she looks, of Rumplestiltskin at all.

A bit heartbroken at not getting to see her companion at such an early age in his ‘existence’ she turns her attention to the newspaper clippings settled bellow.

They are dated at the top, all of them in the year 1987. However she quickly forgets that when her eyes catch title of the first clipping at the top.

‘AVONLEA NO LONGER KID FRIENDLY: BOY MAIMED IN TRAGIC ACCIDENT AT FAMILY FUN CENTER.’

‘MAINE FAMILY FUN CENTER IN FUN-LESS LEGAL DISPUTE OVER CRITICALLY INJURED BOY.’

‘MACHINE OR MONSTER? FAMILY FUN CENTER ANIMATRONIC GOES HAYWIRE AND INJURIES YOUNG CHILD.’

Underneath the head of the last clipping is a bit of text but even more so… There is an actual picture of Rumplestiltskin.

Belle feels her breath hitch in her throat at the image she sees in faded color.

It’s him, sitting down at an angle, from what she can assume, with his head tilted forward. She can also make out at least two people standing beside him-more than likely police officers with the belts and equipment on their hips but she is unsure since she can’t see their upper bodies. Belle shifts her attention back to the machine in the halftone print. 

His yellow eyes are completely ‘dead’, there is nothing apparently alive or anything indicating he is more than the machine he appears to be. It causes a shiver to run up her spine and she has to remind herself that it’s not truly ‘him’ right there.

All of this isn’t even the worst of it. Metal pieces of equipment appear to be jammed into the corners of his jaw, propping his face wide open and making him more like the attempted imitation of the jaws of a terrible crocodile than any human. It’s barbaric, makes her heart pound in grief for him, but she can understand why this is happening to him from one horrible fact.

There is blood. There is blood all over his face and down his jaw, some matted into the ends of his hair-which appears quite longer than what he actually has. Not only that but she can literally tell there are chunks- _chunks_ of what appears to be human or some sort of flesh stuck within portions of his maw. Looking at this image looks more like she’s staring at the promotional image of some horror movie than a long lost photo of her friend.

Managing to move her eyes away from the horrific sight she looks to the text bellow the header.

‘STORYBROOKE, MAINE- Two days ago a tragic incident took place at a business that no parent nor any child could ever imagine would host. ‘Avonlea: Fantasy Family Fun Center’ an establishment that has prided itself for a fun welcoming fantasy like environment aimed towards kids and grown ups alike has become a site to a horrific accident that has left the local community shaken. During the afternoon, on Wednesday, the business was going about its usual affairs but behind the scenes a tragedy was about to occur.

Two boys visiting Avonlea with their adoptive father Mr. John Silver, who had left the two of them alone for a while as he went about some business, our reporter has gathered, with the local Storybrooke fisheries, had snuck into the back of Avonlea. This area, according to owner and head supervisor Mr. Marco Getto, was ‘restricted to kids for their own safety and the safety of Avonlea’s employees and their belongings’. Mr. Getto was also quoted saying ‘The maintenance room,’ the boys entered ‘was especially off limits since it housed all of the establishments faltering equipment being repaired’. That didn’t stop the two boys from sneaking back on their own regards as testified and admitted by the older sibling-’

The rest was torn off and the remaining column to the side completely unreadable.

Belle’s hands quiver a bit at these shakily cut clippings with titles that seared themselves into her heart. Not once has she ever seen articles or headlines about Avonlea like that-yet again she’s never really looked herself and no one in town seems to talk about such an incident. Yet the ghost stories and terrible rumors of Avonlea couldn’t have rose from nothing could they?

A sick feeling wells up within her and she’s sure she can’t stomach anything more. She moves to put everything back into place but something catches her off guard despite everything.

The metal tin is too heavy to be weighed down by just photos and newspaper clippings. Belle sets everything aside in a large pile quickly and looks at the bottom of the tin. There on the side of the bottom is two metal bits that look like they should have screws but there is nothing there… The bottom is also not at the right depth to be the actual bottom of the tin-no, this was false bottom.

Belle managed to get a grasp on the small bits of metal sticking out on the side and with both hands pulled the divider of the tin straight out.

She looked down into the secret compartment and her eyes grew even wider, locked onto what lay inside.

What lies beneath is even more unexpected… She couldn’t have imagined something like this would be hidden out of all things.

It’s a book.

But even more daunting is the fact it’s a book she feels she’s seen before.

‘No…’ Belle thinks, mind suddenly all whirling to a standstill as she holds the divider in one hand and with the other traced her fingertips over the torn and worn spine and cover that lay within.

‘This looks… Just like the book… My-my mother gave me for my sixth birthday, but how? How could that be here? I lost it so many years ago! How?!’

“Belle-What are you doing in here?” The imps voice suddenly rings out in the silence that has suffocated the small space. She’d forgotten entirely on keeping check to make sure she wasn’t found.

The young woman in questions whirls back on her knees, eyes wide in shock and fear, looking towards the machine that stands half way into his own personal room with one hand curled about the panel. “You’ve been taking quite a bit of time-”

He stops talking when he sees her and she knows that he can see what she’s done, everything.

Fake amber eyes stare at her in sheer panic and Belle’s sure she’s wearing the same exact expression.

“What… You…” His voice cuts in and out through the metal of his throat and Belle begins to tremble a bit where she sits. Those fake eyes click in his skull and look down at the small book in her hands. Instantly he tenses even more and Belle sees his jaw open agape and him hunch up as if to spring right into that room and tear it away from her. “Belle… I-I…”

“Rumple…” Belle manages to choke out his name but turns her head back to the book. There is something she must do-something she must confirm. The aged kids book that has been worn down cracks slightly when she opens it up to the first page.

Despite the wear and tear, the age and fade, the blue penmanship in the bottom of the covers inside still was legible in that handwriting she knew could be no one else’s.

_‘To my little Blue-Belle. Your love of reading always brings a smile to my face, so when you read this book, even if I’m not there with you, I’m reading it with you too. May you know my love for you is always ‘real’, -Mom’_

“W-Why do you have this?” Belle gasped, tracing her trembling finger over the cursive in its loving curls and swishes.

The imp is quiet long after her question and Belle feels her confusion and anger and sadness all blend into one mass of emotion that has swept her right underneath it.

“Tell me why do you have this?!” Belle bellows turning her head towards the machine who is holding its hands up as if in surrender, it’s segmented brows pushed up as far as they could go on its tracks. “I knew I lost something important-the only thing I had truly left of my mother years ago and this whole time-you-you had it! HOW?!”

“Please Belle…” He begs suddenly and Belle quickly stands up, cradling the tiny splintered book to her chest in a crushing grip. The animatronic is shaking slightly, no longer meeting her eyes as he stares down at the ground. “It was such a long time ago-and it’s nothing you want to remember.”

‘Remember? What does he mean remember?’ Belle thinks, as a chill crawls across her spine while looking at him. There it was again, this feeling like everyone knew something she did not.

“Rumplestiltskin-are you saying… Have we met before? Tell me right now! Tell me everything right this instant!” Belle demands. She’s growing sick of hiding and of knowing nothing and this book has brought a wave of pain throbbing back within her that she thought she had overcome finally.

How could she have met him and not remembered? She tried to recollect that summer over fourteen years ago, there must have been a real reason her father never let her go back but the memories are blended and faded into one giant mass. There was nothing there-except the hint of a terrible June day with her father… They… Had a fight.

‘Why can’t I remember?’

Meanwhile, the mechanical man says nothing. He only peers at the ground with a painful expression drawn upon his faux skin that has her becoming more livid by the second.

“You-You can’t be honest with me about anything can you?” Belle shouts at him, suddenly finding herself once again that little girl who knew nothing and hating herself for it. “You won’t tell me anything about what you’ve done-you won’t share with me any of your true feelings! Not about how you’re scared or why you don’t want to do things, like even leave this place! But worst of all!” The machine is cowering back from her now, looking hunched and terrified, as if she was going to hit him or strike him at any given moment. “You can’t even feel secure enough with me to tell me about something… Like… This…” 

Belle gasps a moment, needing to regain her breath and mind.

It’s then she realizes that hot streaks of tears are pouring down her face and she closes her eyes and tries to will them away.

“Belle…” He finally manages to pipe up, his voice quivering in a manner that left her stomach in knots all over again. “Please… I’m sorry.”

“No-you don’t get to talk right now, it’s too late. Why? Why keep this from me all this time? I thought we were friends. After everything we’ve been through.”

He remains quiet, absolutely silent and it’s more than she can bare. Anything would be better than the sorrowful yellow eyes that peer beneath metal lids like everyone else has ever looked at her with. She’d prefer him screaming at her, growling, angry and monstrous or even have him just trying to attempt some proper explanation but he says nothing.

She wasn’t any different was she though? She’d never said anything about her mother at all-not even one word to the being before her she called friend as well. All of that was kept bottled up inside and now look at her-she was screaming at her friend over something he didn’t properly understand either.

‘I’m an utter, hypocrite.’

Suddenly, the small enclosure has become to much to bare-this old wound, scarred and hurting forces her to flee-to escape from all of this surrounding here.

Belle bumps into Rumplestiltskin and pushes past him, out the small claustrophobic room and out of the maintenance room as well.

“Belle! Wait! Please wait!” Rumplestiltskin practically cries after her as well as attempts to grab her, but as always he never does. Belle just wants away from this place-away from him-away from the pain pouring from her eyes and heart. That troublesome pride of hers wants him to not see the utter wreckage she’s becoming all thanks to this…

All this time.

All this time the thing she had lost was right within her grasp.

“Belle! Let me expla-explain! Wait! Don’t go!”

Before she truly understands what she’s doing, Belle ends up at the door in the back. Clacking footsteps are streaking down the hall loudly and fast towards her. Yet she continues on, her flimsy hand pushes the alarms code in quickly to disable it and allow her to escape the stifling darkness. She has to get out of here-right now.

“BELLE! PLEASE-PLEASE DON’T GO!  **PLEASE DON’T GO!** ”

The door opens under her hand and she’s out running straight through the rain. She’d forgotten all about it, and instantly the pelting droplets soak her and shock her senses. Her arms wrap tight around the book, hugging it under her chest as she blazes on head first, past the parking lot, past the line of trees surrounding Avonlea and to where-she doesn’t know.

She just has to get away.

She just has to find somewhere this pain can’t find her.


	15. Chapter 15

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Belle, lost, out in the rain beyond the safe walls of Avonlea leaves Rumplestiltskin to face a choice he has long been unable to make. While Fourteen years ago, two lonely souls meet for the very first time and change both their futures forever.

Years spent sneaking around and going perfectly unnoticed made it easy enough for the animatronic to make a move towards this small intruder in Avonlea. No one should be here at all, save himself of course, and yet Rumplestiltskin is finding himself scurrying on quieter steps to the back of the building to attempt to understand just why this is not the case. Why is it on a rainy night such as this that suddenly his world is turned upside down?

Quietly down the back hall he goes, reaching the doorway that leads to the space behind the stage near the buildings front. Just the right amount of pressure on the door handle ensures no creaking or noise is issued from the old hinges. Rumplestiltskin stalks forward, towards the thick dusty curtains that have hardly seen use in recent years… Ever since him and all the animatronics had been tossed out like broken toys and Mr. Getto had given up on live daily performances with human employees.

Her little sniffles are loud in the silence and he easily strides forward even closer without disturbing the child.

It’s when he’s right behind the curtain and surely right behind where she lays on the floor boards he is unsure of what to do.

How did this child not only manage to sneak into Avonlea unsupervised but had also managed to hide without anyone knowing?

‘Well, it’s not really that hard now is it?’ Rumplestiltskin thinks to himself dryly and then shakes his head. Still… The ultimate question was why? Why would a kid go through the awful weather pouring outside just to get here and hide like a stowaway? And why… Why would such a little creature cry so much and be in so much pain?

The girl mutters more things to herself, releasing her sadness into broken and stuttering sobs that are hardly understandable.

The imp’s joints creak ever so slightly as he moves to sit down right behind the curtain and to think this through-whatever this was he was attempting to do. Despite being torn apart within the confines of his systems and codes he knew he couldn’t just leave this poor child alone to suffer in this formidable dark. Children hated the dark… Why did he know this? He wasn’t sure, it just made sense.

It appears that his joints gave a creak and clatter far too loud as he settles, he finally managed to disrupt the spell of silence on accident. The girl gives out a shocked gasp the instant after. Floor boards groan underneath the human child as she frantically moves to sit up and press herself against the curtain that is dividing the space between them, as if it will help protect her now that she is aware she’s not alone.

Rumplestiltskin becomes utterly still, his yellow eyes quietly clicking to the side of his sockets, stuck in the hollow black of their pits in his own fear. 

He screwed up and was making things worse as always.

“He… Hello? I-Is anyone there?” Her little voice picks up and he can hear her sniffle and the brush of her arm against her face.

The imp is unsure how to respond, his jaw full of awful sharp teeth opens slightly and then closes again. Should he reveal himself? ‘No! That is an absolutely terrible idea!’

Another muffled mutter. “I’m so scared-why d-did I come here… I’m so stupid…”

‘No little one… Don’t say such a thing, surely there is some reason you have come here.’

“Maybe dad is better off without me… M-Maybe mom too-maybe she knew and that’s-that’s why-why she… I… Just want to die… Anything would be better…” Her voice stifles on another choked sob. “I just want to be where she is, I don’t care anymore!”

Rumplestiltskin can no longer hide behind her and not say something, the words she speaks are far too much and nothing a child should ever be having to say- _never_.

“Surely you don’t mean that.” Rumplestiltskin says with the most calming and gentle voice he can, even though he is far from feeling confident and secure in himself. He prepares for the screaming, for hearing her jump onto her feet, run to the front door, and start pounding on it begging to be let out. It’s not like she wouldn’t be able to tell there is something clearly wrong with him without even seeing his grotesque form.  Even in this low pitch and tone unlike his nasally usual voice he some how seemed to disturb everyone he came across.

He hears her instantly grow quiet once the words are out of his vocal box and filtering through the air. ‘Yes.. This was a terrible idea you idiotic tin can.’

Immediately he regrets this decision and wonders if maybe he can still slink back off into the darkness of his den where he belongs.

“W-Who… Who’s there?” The girl questions. There is a thin lace of fear in her voice but the animatronic is surprised she isn’t scurrying off in terror from this strangers voice stirring up in the darkness right near her. “Please-don’t hurt me! I’m sorry! I’m really really sorry!”

The machine is baffled by this reaction, it’s not what he considers… Typical, for a human.

Rumplestiltskin puts his segmented hands in his lap, crossing his legs as he thinks of someway to respond. It’s not like he’s well versed in dealing with humans anymore-or ever had been for that matter. “Please do not be afraid. I’m a… Friend… I don’t mean you any harm little one.” He hears her move and he can tell she’s turned on her sock clad feet to directly face the curtain.

“You-You’re there behind the curtain aren’t you?!”

“Yes, I am.” He calmly replies to her frantic questioning. ‘I am behind the curtain for very good reasons.’ “Or perhaps I’m not.”

It seems she pays no attention to this. “I’m sorry I’m here! I know I shouldn’t be but I didn’t have anywhere else to go!” She pleads and he feels his internal parts grinding ‘painfully’ against one another again, one of his hands has to bare itself on his chest to help alleviate this unexplainable imaginary agony. “Please please don’t call the police and have me arrested! I promise I wasn’t breaking in or here to steal anything!”

“I won’t be calling the police little one…”

Another sniffle comes from the other side of the curtain. “You won’t? You… Not Mr. Getto either?”

“No.”

“Y-You won’t call my dad?”

Rumplestiltskin nearly gives a teetering giggle at this, amused that instead of running away like he’d imagined she would she is instead pleading with a mysterious stranger for him to not call her father. ‘How peculiar this little human is!’

“No… I won’t.” It’s not like he could even if he wanted-though he should, it appears her father must not know she’s here. Is she a runaway perhaps? “I must ask how did you sneak in here little intruder? But more importantly, why are you here in Avonlea at this time of night?” The machine tries to twist the topic back to her-needing to keep it away from himself for his safety but even more so, it is because he needs to understand why even now she is still crying.

“I…” Her voice cuts off. The sound of little hands fumbling with the fabric of the jacket she had been holding reaches his sensors. He wonders if she’s still sopping wet or has at least dried off somewhat in the time she’s been here. “I ran-” The girl sneezes loudly and the imp feels the concern grow deeply again for the child whom is his unexpected sole companion tonight.

‘Company… Oh… Since when was it I last ever spoken to a human again…’ The animatronic stalls a moment, suprised at realizing this only now. It was his first time in years he’d spoken to anyone, nearly eleven years total.

The girl blurts out the first answer. “When I got here, I hid in the bathrooms till closing. Nobody knew I was there.”

‘Ah!’ The imp thinks to himself with a slight twitch at one corner of his lips. ‘This one is very clever indeed, the buildings public bathrooms are not locked up after all.’

“It doesn’t matter why I’m here…” Her voice pipes back up again and now he can hear the sniffles and hoarse edge to her words deepen. “Nothing matters… I can’t even go home anymore… I just seem to ruin things for everyone and make them worse-” The girl sneezes again loudly. “I-I’m so tired of being alone, even though my dad is around I don’t even feel like he cares at all! He sure doesn’t seem to care about mom anymore-why would I be-any d-different!”

Her sobbing starts back up again and the machine who has never shed a tear in its life just listens in absolute despair. The girl tosses aside her jacket, which lands in a ‘whumph’ but Rumplestiltskin can clearly hear the clatter of something hard hitting the ground as well. Carefully, he extends his arm towards the edge of the curtain and fumbles with finger tips, till they land on something that is clearly not a floor board nor a jacket.

He withdraws the item carefully, still mindful of the girl crying on the other side of the curtain.

‘It’s a book.’ He realizes quickly, and he marvels at the small and clearly worn treasure in his grasp. The item was a kids book titled ‘The Velveteen Rabbit’. A a few scratches and worn edges marred the book imperfect but it was still easily readable-at least for him in this bleak darkness. The optic sensors within his false eyes click and change to a night vision, allowing him to see each word effortlessly.

“It’s odd for a run away to leave home with only their jacket and a children’s book.” The imp hums out carefully after a few more sparse moments of silence.

“Hey!” The girl manages to snap out of crying when she hears him speak and the floor boards creek underneath her weight. She moves towards the curtain pushing against it with one hand. “Th-That’s mine! Please give it back!”

He hears her move to tug at the curtain and frantically tries to think of a way to stop her-without touching her or having her see him. If she does, she’ll truly freak out all together and he can’t have that, she’s already scared and emotionally distressed enough.

He makes a slight ‘cough’. “I promise I will return you this book in time so long as you stop that and answer a question of mine again.” The girl stops her attempt at tugging up the bottom of the heavy curtain and it falls back into place. “Is this book something… Your mother gave you?”

“How did you-know?” She sounds very suprised and he can hear the cries in her throat are starting to fade away.

“I know many things…” He teases lightly. ‘I over hear many things too.’

There is a awkward quiet span of time between them and then the imp hears her ask something, something that is the most baffling thing he’s heard from her so far.

“Are you… An angel?”

“Me? An angel! Hardly.” It takes everything within his wires and circuits to stop a terrifying impish giggle from surging forth and startling the poor thing.

No angels he’d seen in pictures and books looked like him, they were beautiful creatures with wings who protected humans. No if anything he would better be described like a demon in physical form and action, with blood staining his dark demonic claws.

“ _But perhaps_ ,” He draws out the word in jest. “I am actually a ghost, haunting these walls for all eternity, awaiting the day I can take my revenge against you troublesome mortals.”

He is suprised again when her oddly accented voice speaks up. “No-I don’t think so.” It’s an absolutely blunt answer but another sneeze disrupts her train of thought. “If you were a ghost you would have gotten me already or something-whatever ghosts do. I don’t think you’re a bad guy at all.”

“Hrmm… Presumptuous are we? I am no ghost-but perhaps at least I am the closest thing to one you can find… Now tell me… Why did you bring such a book with you?”

“Because it was the book she used to read to me when I was smaller… It’s the only thing I have left of her.”

The answer drifts heavily through the still and musty air. Rumplestiltskin loosens his grip on the tiny tome before him and looks back at it in wonder. His clawed fingers ever so softly, brush against the cover and open it to the very first page. In blue writing on the inside of the cover he sees a message, a tiny set of lines filled with more love and passion than in anything he’s ever seen.

_‘To my little Blue-Bell. Your love of reading always brings a smile to my face, so when you read this book, even if I’m not there with you, I’m reading it with you too. May you know my love for you is always ‘real’, -Mom’_

“It looks like to me, that you love this story very much… And that she loved you very much.”

The girl sniffles again and he can practically hear her curling back into herself. “I don’t know if she really did… She left me all alone after all-she chose to leave me and dad. My dad… Is so caught up in work and is never really home… Now I’m the one all alone.”

“No that’s not true…” The soft breathing stills a moment and the machine feels the gears and points in his chest loosen their tight hold. “Even if your mother is gone that doesn’t mean she’s really gone… In fact I think she’s here right now and I can help you find her.”

This little stranger, Blue-Belle, stiffens against the curtain and her little gasp doesn’t go unnoticed.

“Ah yes… She must be here!” The imp lets a little bit of his theatrics into his voice for effect, but quickly softens his tone. Delicately he traces the written word over with his eyes before he begins to read from its pages. “There was once a velveteen rabbit, and in the beginning he was really splendid. He was fat and bunchy, as a rabbit should be; his coat was spotted brown and white, he had real thread whiskers, and his ears were lined with pink sateen.”

“What are you doing?” The girl asks in what he can only claim is bewilderment.

“I’m helping you find your mother of course.” He states without hesitation, as if it makes complete and total sense. Despite being faulty and broken he knows he’s not mad-well hopefully not entirely out of his mind.

“How is reading that silly story about a rabbit going to help me find her? It’s not like I could find her even I wanted… She miles and miles away, far across the sea…”

“Ah, you doubt me… And yourself. You say she read to this to you as a child?” He can practically see her hesitant nod without even seeing her through the barrier between them. “Then if you listen closely to the words and yet not too hard, I’m sure you’ll be able to think of all the good times that you and your mother read this story.”

“Oh… I see…” The words are on the ghost of a whisper.

“Just close your eyes and I’ll read you this tale little one-and perhaps you can find your mother… If only for a bit.”

And so read he did, straight from the beginning. Rumplestiltskin had never before read this story, in fact he’s hardly read any stories at all in his entire life, though he has always been enchanted with the power these simple pieces of paper and print of ink hold. What he is reading is clearly a children’s tale, it’s not very long and the illustrations take over most of the pages, depicting the story in vibrant line work and inks.

“ ‘What is real?’ Asked the Rabbit one day.”

But this story… Is more than a story. It is something that digs down deep into whatever he is exactly in this metal husk the further he delves into it. This tale is of a splendid stuffed rabbit longing to become real and loved. A tale of a toy becoming unwanted, broken, and… Worthless. The rabbit dreamed so hard about becoming real-even after all of these horrible things that had befallen it, even after becoming threadbare, forgotten, and thrown out to be burned.

Yet, because of the boys love, the rabbit had been  _real_  the entire time.

“ ‘Wasn’t I Real before?’ asked the little Rabbit. ‘You were Real to the Boy,’ the Fairy said, ‘because he loved you. Now you shall be Real to every one.’ ”

All of this is too much for him and yet he reads on because the girl behind the curtain has finally stopped crying. He has managed to alleviate her pain for just a little while, brought her back to her mother-where ever she might be right now far from here, and so he can bear with this foreign ache long enough to do that.

This little Blue-Bell doesn’t move the entire time he reads, nor does she say a word, not until the very end at least.

“ ‘Why, he looks just like my old B-bunny that was lost when I had scarlet fever!’ But he never knew that it really… Was his own Bunny… C-Come back to look at the child who had first… helped h-him to… to be…”

The imp can’t finish the story. That last word can’t escape his faux lips nor escape out his metal throat from the box that his voice comes from. The odd sensation that lingers in the corner of his eye sockets down to the open ports is raging and he wants it to stop, to just stop and leave him be.

It torments him because he has no form of tears to shed even if he wanted to cry.

“Helped him to be real.” The girl finishes the story for him, in a voice that is more confident and strong than his own.

“Yes…” He manages to say. It takes him a few moments to compose himself, his mind is splitting and becoming fragmented amidst churning waves within the data and numbers. “Did… Did you manage to find your mother little one?”

“I did…” The girl speaks softly as well, her nose a bit runny as she sniffles some more. “She told me every time I’d read that story she’d be right there reading it with me… I think she enjoyed getting to hear it being read to her too. You have a lovely voice Mr. Not a ghost… Thank you.”

“Ha! I’m very glad… Ms. Blue-Belle and Ms. Blue-Belle’s mother.” The imp says with a lopsided smile and yet a clawed hand of his is clasped over his chest, digging at the fabric of the vest and silk shirt.

No one… Has ever thanked him before. Sure he had provided entertainment for a measly two years but not a single soul had appreciated his efforts nor his hard work in all that time. It wasn’t like he was even supposed to deserve gratitude but then again he wasn’t supposed to be this thing he was either.

“I don’t know who you are…“ Another violent sneeze, followed by another, and another. “But I,” Her voice tightens, fighting back another tide of emotions, surely. “ _Really, really,_  didn’t want to be alone tonight.”

“I promise you, you don’t have to be alone tonight, not here anyways.” The imp grasps the book to his chest, feeling almost as if he is missing something he desperately needs in this moment to simply survive. ‘Neither of us have to be alone for this one night…’

A sudden sporadic amount of coughing from her breaks through the overwhelming ‘emotions’ that were flickering across motherboards and circuits within the mechanical man. He moves from where he’s sitting to kneel beside the curtain, worry etching it’s way further onto his brows as he listens to her hack away.

“Are you alright?!”

The coughing dies down but the imp just clenches his free hand tighter into a fist, trying to figure out what on earth he was to do with this girl who was clearly not well. No doubt she was getting sick from the stress and being out in such terrible weather, left to sit in her damp clothes in this place-that might be too cold, he wasn’t sure since he could not tell.

“Yeah… I-I’m sorry but could you read that book to me again?  _Please_?”

Rumplestiltskin can’t deny this little human anything so it seems, that single word has him bound to her. He sits back on his haunches again, listening to every little sound she creates as he begins the tale of this toy rabbit once more. It’s not before long he can tell her breathing has changed. Her small normal breaths give way to longer drawn out puffs and he knows she’s fallen asleep there against the floor and her wet wadded up jacket.

He sighs, issuing out that rather inhuman sound and then moves around the curtain, bending down beside the girl and getting his first close look at her. ‘I know her, she’s the one I’ve seen in here several times before-playing Ms. Pacman or with a book of course.’ The imp recalls.

Even in the dark he can see the little Ms. Pacman playing fiend unhealthily flushed, with one cheek rosier than the other. No doubt she’s come down with something. Fear rears it’s ugly head once more, but Rumplestiltskin swallows it as he quickly retrieves a coat from the nearby closet to at least help her keep her somewhat warm.

“I promise you,” He begins, feeling this overwhelming urge to protect this little flicker of light in this vast ocean of darkness within every fiber, bolt, and scrap of his being. “I’ll be right here the entire night…” His voice quivers. “I’ll protect you…”

‘You don’t have to be suffering all alone…’

—————

**“BELLE! PLEASE-PLEASE DON’T GO!”**

He begs her not to go, knowing that her emotions have been pushed to far, but she flees from him before he could stop her. He nearly had grabbed her to stop her but he hadn’t. He knew he had no right touch her though he desperately wanted to try to explain himself, try to make her understand why he…

It was a mistake to never let her know. An horrible choice made by him to keep away hidden something that was never rightfully his. He was a greedy selfish beast in that matter, and yet she had no idea how that little worn book had become something he couldn’t make himself part with.

But, he can’t keep holding onto this book if the cost is parting with her. Now it so perfectly clear in his eyes. He can’t let himself part like this with this woman who has turned his entire world upside down on its head from the day he has met her!

The animatronic attempts pursuit after his security guard, thinking she was heading to her office to lock the door and keep him at bay. Much to his shock and growing fear she does something else entirely, it’s what he has dreaded the moment she and him have become friends.

In her desperation to get away she had went out the back door.

“BELLE!” He calls out after her when she slams the door behind herself, leaving him in the utter darkness and to fumble with the alarm pad in order to open the door without it screeching out in distress. He disengages it and flings open the door himself, desperate to see the woman who had surely not ran off too far within the harsh falling rain and bleak lighting. “Belle! I’m sorry! I’m sorry I didn’t tell you the… Truth…”

He can’t see her anywhere nearby and the bits and pieces in his chest are grinding and clattering within his body in a manner most unpleasant.

“Belle…” He calls out her name in more of a whimper than a proper shout. He hears the rush of falling rain and grumble of thunder rip through the sky in response.

‘It’s a downpour-what the hell is she thinking just running off like that? She’s always going head first into these things! I told her to not go into that box and what did she do! Just that!’ Anger fills him only momentarily before it looses all steam and leaves him in the surmounting guilt that swallows him up. The imp holds his head between his hands and feels the urge to rip himself apart grow more violently beneath his cold metal surface.

‘This is my fault though… It is… I knew from early on she was that same girl. I promised myself I’d give that book back one day but-I… Didn’t want to tell her about that night… I didn’t want her to remember the things she begged for when she thought no one could hear her.’

The imp trembles a bit at the doorway, staring at the threshold with a new level of hate and rage that he has not felt for it ever in his existence. It mocks him, taunts him every single day and now when he most needs to cross it, it reminds him of all he can’t do.

“Damnit! What do I do? What if she doesn’t come back? What if she gets hurt out there?” A slight screech sneaks out of his voice in his frustration and despair. He can’t go out there and confirm that she will be fine or that she’ll be coming back, once again he is useless in helping her.

“You’re always running head first into things… It’s my fault for this, I know that, but you shouldn’t be running, especially not tonight…”

It comes back to him, instantly, like all memories do once they are reorganized within the labyrinth of his mind. For the first time ever he is glad that he can’t forget.

_“I don’t know who you are…But I, really, really, didn’t want to be alone tonight.”_

_“I promise you, you don’t have to be alone tonight, not here anyways.”_

Rumplestiltskin straightens himself to his upmost height and stares out the width of door that leads to the world beyond.

‘You’re not alone… I’m not sure about elsewhere, in that world so far from mine but right now you’re not alone, not on my watch.’

“After all I promised you that same thing a long time ago didn’t I Blue-Belle?” The machine whispers out loud into the call of droplets and howling wind. Natures violent symphony echoes to him beyond the doorway and then fades out from his hearing altogether.

It is then that he closes his eyes, letting the lids clicking gently together. His vision is cut off and now all his senses are completely gone save the rhythm bouncing into him from his feet on the floor. It’s completely black and void in his sight, yet he knows exactly where he is and how far it is between his feet and the edge of his world.

With a step that takes so much more than what he can comprehend-he steps to that edge of the threshold.

This action suddenly becomes something his programing snaps at quickly, the screaming error message pops up without hesitation or warning.

**(01-A: YOU CAN’T LEAVE-ERROR. RETURN TO INACTIVE POSITION AND STATION.)**

The machine stiffens in stance. ‘No. I can do whatever I want. This is my body, I am in control.’

**(01-A: ERROR-IT IS A RULE. NO ANIMATRONICS OR PROPERTY CAN SURPASS THE BUILDING’S BOUNDARIES. RETURN TO INACTIVE POSITION AND STATION.)**

The imp grinds his sharp teeth together, fighting back the violence raging to be free within him and just focusing on what he needed to do. What he needed to do was go beyond the walls, find Belle, and bring her back. He needed to make sure she was okay-he needed to ensure the woman who has time and time again saved him from himself would not be alone.

It was his only purpose he had in so long, protect the girl born of light who has given him hope in the deep depths that is his ocean of darkness.

‘I WILL GO. I WILL GO AND I WILL FIND HER-AND I WILL STOP AT NOTHING ELSE UNTIL I DO.’

His foot slips past the wooden frame, ever so slightly. The error screams in response.

**(01-A: RUMPLESTILTSKIN. RETURN TO AVONLEA. IMMEDIATELY.)**

_“I’M NOT AFRAID! I’M NOT SCARED! ESPECIALLY NOT IF IT MEANS ENDANGERING HER!”_

**(01-A: RETURN TO AVONLEA. INTERFERENCE-44. 01-A RETURN TO BUILDIN#89*)**

**(D^# >01-A: ATTEMPTING TO ESTABLISH CONNECTION. ACESS DENIED. ENGAGE. <**#(ER)-IMPLEMENTING. ERROR. ERROR. ERROR. ERR-)**

Suddenly the ringing in his head cut off and the imp gaped as he no longer felt the booming demands roaring or rampaging inside his head.

In one swift movement his right foot meets the pavement outside the door.

His other boot has become glued to the cement within Avonlea. Metal claws dig into the door frame as he forces himself another step forward-over the threshold-and into the rain that bounces against his metal husk as if tune with the heart of a song. The machine is left to gasp loudly as sensations literally poured themselves right on top of him.

So that… Is what rain… really  _feels_  like?

The fear, the terror of what he is doing is not absent. No its filling him to the brim and threatening to consume his entire body and force him back over the line at any moment. He’s come to far to let that happen-even if he is facing the possibility of his own body short circuiting due to the weather or having himself be seen out in this world and thus endangering his ‘life. He can’t stop.

So he does the only thing he can think of, he runs. His metal limbs jolt him forward and before Rumplestiltskin knows it he’s off, flying through the air and connecting with the ground that quickly changes from pavement to grass, dirt, and things he’s never got to touch in his entire existence.

All that means nothing to him right now though.

“BELLE! BELLE!” He calls out her name frantically, his mind only filled with thoughts of her and where she could possibly be. The world around him is entirely foreign and yet he doesn’t stop even when he nearly trips and falls head over feet in this messy wet darkness.

The trees fly past him in a giant blur as he moves on. Desperately the animatronic is trying to get some sense of where his Knight has gone though he hasn’t a clue at all.

“BELLE!” He calls out again, swirling and turning about in the downpour as he begins to lose track of where he is. How far has he gone? Where is Avonlea in direction to where he is?

There’s too much to take in and he frantically growls in his frustration, sounding more inhuman in his cries the further he went on. “Belle where are you! Please! Come back! It’s n-not safe to b-be out here in this weather! Belle!”

His boot catches on a thick weedy plant that he fails to notice and the imp doesn’t even have time to yelp as he falls to his knees. Falling causes him to splash up a fair amount of mud onto his person, coating his leather pants, arms and belly of his outfit in the sloppy muck. The animatronic man makes a broken little cry as he attempts to get back up. All the fear he had been fighting off was bubbling back to swallow him whole now that he is stopped dead in his tracks.

Nothing is familiar. In this world he is utterly lost and not even the glow of his yellow eyes can’t comfort him in this foreign darkness.

Yet through it all he knows he’d only be fine if he could at least find Belle. She is all alone in this just as much as him but hurting even worse than him or what he can imagine.

“B-Belle…” He croons and calls out, sounding more akin to wounded animal than a machine or a man. Sitting in the grime and sludge will do him no good but the machine can’t move. The severity of his fear has momentarily disable some functions in his programming, he can tell, errors project in his data born mind that some of his minor servos have locked up. The metal joints of his legs won’t budge because of this so Rumplestiltskin is stuck bent over in the mud, rattling wildly like the wind tugging at the trees above.

‘I’m sorry Belle-I’m so sorry… I’m so sorry I’m not brave enough.’ He chokes on these thoughts, feeling utterly worthless in this moment. To have come so far and fail without even finding her is a blow to the courage that had managed to free him from his cage.

Ever since he’s met Belle he’s found all he has ever wanted is to make her happy and safe. From a child to a grown up, this has never changed though the ‘feelings’ and ‘sensations’ within him have…

But it seems all he’s ever good at is making Belle cry and upset.

“I’m not good for anything at all… Not as a machine, nor a performer, or even a friend. I’m truly just a hunk of metal that needs to be scrapped!” He cries out loudly, never before hating everything that he has ever been more than in this moment. “Not only can I not even leave a building, or live amongst human beings the creatures I was made to entertain-but I can’t even make the only person who is kind to me happy. That’s all I want…’ Rumplestiltskin clamps his steel jaw together and stops the flow of words-the truth too much to bear to hearing it spill out.

He has never been accepted, not even in the world he was made for but Belle… Belle had- _does_. The very first moment she’d met him she’d not responded in fear and terror, oh she had once not long ago thanks to his own actions, but now she looked at him as if he mattered in the grand scheme of things. She had shown upmost compassion and kindness, something he can’t deny he has longed for since the day he woke up in Avonlea for the first time that he could perfectly remember.

From the moment she had bravely faced him down and stood her ground she had opened her space to him and let him taste a bit of this living world of warmth and life… Belle had given him opportunities to exist in her own world as an equal and not lesser… Not a monster, not a machine, not a thing to be pitied.

Belle French treated him as if he was ‘real’.

“But now I’ve ruined it all.” Rumplestiltskin closed his eyes. ‘If I just had been brave… If I just had taken the chance…’

The rain patters against his leather coat and metal body.The droplets hum and echo, reverberating within him, his only way of understanding how it feels at all.

Funny enough, what Belle had spoken of with closed eyes was true. There was a song that danced amongst the falling drops of rain but there was no peppy notes, only the melancholy filled hum of a broken machine.

He listens to it, not thinking of how he was surely going to end up getting himself killed by sitting in this element that his body was not made for.

“Rumple?”

The machine lifts his muddied face up as he rests bent on his elbows and looks ahead towards the partial open clearing less dense of trees. There is a shape approaching in the shadows and he feels no ounce of fear at all upon seeing it. The voice alone has given away to who it is amongst the sharp pitter patter of rain. He feels all the tension in his entire body seem to release bit by bit and he can feel his servos and joints start to unlock.

“Oh my god! Rumple! Is that you?!” Belle’s voice rings loudly in the air. The animatronic gets to his hands and knees, attempting to stand once more if he possibly can. A loud ‘clack’ rings from his knees and he’s forced back to the ground, it seems he’s still unable to function at full capacity.

It doesn’t matter-he’s found Belle, she’s okay-she’s safe.

“You’re okay… I’m so relieved…” Rumplestiltskin mumbles, letting the relief wash away the surmounting fear and terror. “Oh Belle, I’m so sorry… I’m so sorry…”

The young woman nearly trips over an semi submerged root herself but keeps up right, only falling to her clean knees in the mud once she’s right beside him. Her own locks of hair are plastered to her person, it seems the rain hasn’t been any kinder to her and she’s practically soaked to the bone, jacket, clothes, and all.

Still in her arms, he notices when his yellow eyes glance up in their sockets, is the book tightly within her grasp.

The woman doesn’t seemed concerned about her soggy state at all, as one hand unwinds from her chest to wrap around his shoulders and grip the back of his coats collar. “ **What the hell are you doing?** ” She loudly asks him, surprising him with the ferocity of her voice in that one simple question. The storm brewing around them is nothing compared to the one inside this human being. “Are you freaking crazy?! It’s raining horribly! Are you trying to get yourself killed! Oh my god Rumplestiltskin!” Those blue eyes of hers fly open wide before scrunching back together, seeming to be fighting off some unclear emotion. “Y-You left-You left Avonlea!”

The depth of his actions finally hits him. Yes, he has left Avonlea. This is his first moment in the world outside those walls in twenty eight years.

This thought only seems to increase the rattling in his metal frame.

“I did-I did l-leave…”

Belle looks at him, as if torn between crying, hollering, or pleading over something for some deep reason he is not sure. The hand at the back of his coat tightens and she draws herself up and over him, taking the brute force of the rain that is not relenting its fall as they speak.

“Why? Why did you leave? This is the worst possible night for you to do such a thing! What if lightening strikes you, or rain clogs up your system and fries you?! Where you not thinking at all!”

He manages to lift one hand up from the mud to keep himself up right as he leans in closer to her-to escape the rain and just keep her form within range of his grasp. He can’t have her running off again-not when he has so much to say and explain.

“I just had to f-find you. I cou-ou-ldn’t wait, nor did I want to.” He manages to stammer out.

This doesn’t satisfy her in the slightest. “I was going to come back inside! Did you think I’d really run away and never come back because of this? Just over a book?”

“I… I just didn’t want…”

She falls quiet a he tries to speak. Oh, he’s trying so hard to be brave right now, to open up himself and tell her his true feelings. Optimism has never been his strong suite, he’s had no reason to believe that anything could go right for him, with him being an unnatural anomaly in the world to begin with. Yet… If he’s managed to step outside Avonlea, after having never left for twenty eight years, he can at least manage this as well. It’s his beautiful kind Belle after all he’s admitting these truths to, the one creature that has not forsaken him.

His voice drifts up, loud enough against the beat of the rain. “I didn’t want you to be alone! You think it’s best to go off and hurt by yourself, to not burden anyone ever but it’s not… Trust me little one… I know…”

“Why?” Belle gasps out on a choked word and Rumplestiltskin steadies himself when she seems to throw out her other arm and wrap it around him, embracing him from above and all around him. His muddied face is now pressed against her stomach but she doesn’t seem to care he is dirtying her and tainting her with his touch. She never acts like he does mar her even though she’s seen him and held him at his worst.

“I just don’t get it-why do you care so much about me?”

“Because-”

The emotions flare and whirl within the numbers, data, and mechanical ports that he is made of. Everything he is figuring out right now is so alarming and yet he is unsure of what this burning sensation that consumes him is. It’s something he’s never known and yet with Belle he’s always known. From the moment he has held her in his arms as this beautiful grown woman, born with an incredible light as well as a warmth he can feel without touch, he has felt this thing grow and build.

Honestly, it frightens him to the absolute core, even more than stepping outside of Avonlea had.

 _‘I care about you, because I… Love…_ ’

‘No.’ The machine fights the staggering thought away, knowing it couldn’t be so despite his whims and dreams. ‘I can’t love. I can care and I can protect but never could I… love… That is something a thing like me can’t have or understand… And never could someone love me in return.’ The imp closes his eyes and lifts his arms up and around Belle, holding back onto her as well, to keep him there in that moment instead of drifting away within his own body.

‘But perhaps I can just pretend just for a bit…  _That it is possible for me to love her._ ’

“Because… We’re friends after all aren’t we dearest? And that’s what friends do, they take care of each other-or so I’m told.” The imp manages to emerge in his tone, despite hardly flaunting himself in his usual facade of confidence. “Besides… I made a promise to you a long time ago that I wasn’t going to let you be all alone when you were here. I can’t back out of it and I don’t even wish to, rain or not.”

Belle swallows back a build of saliva which he can hear clearly, as well as the pounding of her heart thrum wildly in her rib cage. It’s beautiful, this vibrant living thrum that he hears alongside her voice. “So it’s true… We’ve met before, and yet I can’t remember it at all.”

“You got sick, and I’m sure what happened seemed much more like a dream than reality.” He feels her arms tighten around him some more. “Yes, we did meet, one night a long time ago… When a little wild girl decided to sneak in late and hold herself up in Avonlea.” Rumplestiltskin opens his eyes slightly, wishing he could see her face as he recollects that night once more. “I remember the little creature who had stowed away was crying relentlessly that night, after having somehow snuck in as well as getting herself locked inside. It gave me a good fright! I thought surely that was the night I would be discovered, but I was more worried than frightened when I found that little creature, instead of any adult, curled up and sobbing-mourning for something I never exactly sure about. Until, that little girl… Came back to Avonlea many years later.”

Those arms squeeze around him, encompassing him as if they do not plan to let go.

“I still don’t understand.” Belle says bluntly, her tone laced with hurt. “Why couldn’t you have just told me… I can’t really remember any moment you describe, not really, but surely I would have believed you. You had the book my mother had given to me after all.”

“Because… The things you spoke of seemed so utterly painful. I didn’t want to remind you of a night that caused you so much suffering, for you were hurting more than anyone should be. I have many things I wish to forget that I can not, so I made a decision that was not rightly my own to make.”

Belle snorted, as if almost amused rather than offend at his unfair call in that matter. “Pain is apart of life Rumple, without it what’s the point. Sure there are times I wish to not go through something painful but… Those moments make us who we are, you know? But I do understand where you’re coming from now, though it still hurts me that you don’t trust me enough… Do you really think I’d reject you for keeping it a secret?”

“I… I have been rejected my entire life…” He finds the gears clogging in his chest again, the weight of these truths-these fears nearly causing his entire system to crash. It begs him not to reveal the things it tries to keep at bay but they ooze out of him like the streams of water cascading down their bodies. “It won’t be long before you reject me too, dearest. Someday I will do something you can’t forgive and I do not wish for that to happen. That is why I can’t go with you when you do leave Avonlea. Please… You must understand this.”

It’s so sudden, that Rumplestiltskin has no time to prepare or move from the girl hovering over him and her quick reflexes.

He was in her arms one moment and next thing he knows he is falling back in the mud and puddles pooling around them thanks to a hard push from her. A crackled gasp emits from his throat but he can’t form a response as Belle’s arms pin themselves firmly right next to his head. The rain is beading off her back and head, as she hovers over him, trapping his body between her knees and rendering him completely captured.

‘Yes, but I’ve always been captive by you… Oh, Belle I am so afraid… Because I don’t know how I can go on if you rejected me too…’

Her eyes bore into him, sharp clear blue ones that were nearly hidden by the cascade of dark brown hair falling about her shoulders and sticking to her face. Right now it’s so very clear that this is no child that is above him. Belle is all grown, from her body to her fair featured face pulled tight into all together serious look, all childlike features and traits are long gone.

‘I’ve never truly cared for anyone in my entire life, or been cared for, but you changed that  _entirely_.’

“I can promise you this, on my very life, I’ll never reject you. I’m not perfect. I might be afraid of you sometimes, angry even when I have the right to be or when I’m being foolish myself… But I won’t abandon you, never like how the world has.” Somehow her voice is so strong and steady and yet a whirlwind of emotions all at once. “I… Know how I just acted earlier wasn’t fair, just like it wasn’t fair of you to keep such things hidden from me, but-it’s okay. We both are far from being perfect and that’s just fine! I mean, you’ve accepted me regardless of what I’ve done-I… I broke my promise to you on respecting your privacy, I looked into the tin-and yet instead of screaming at me like you could have done, like you deserved to, you’ve done something absolutely incredible instead. You left Avonlea in the pouring rain just to make sure I was okay!”

He looks at her, completely confounded by this creature that he can’t accept is merely human. She most certainly is part, her flaws are there just like any others but there is more to her than any other human he has ever met.

‘Are you… An Angel my darling Belle?’

“You… Are the most incredible person I have ever met.” It’s all he can say. Time and time again he is in utter awe of her.

She smiles a brilliant smile suddenly, and yet makes a choked sound. Rumplestiltskin is not sure now if the rain streaming down her flushed cheeks is completely just droplets from above or some of her own tears.

“Please don’t cry-dearest, I do forgive you. It doesn’t matter to me that you looked into that tin. But-Do you…” He gulps, that odd strange scrape of metal pieces in the hollow of his neck. “Do you forgive me?”

“Of course I forgive you, you block head!” A delightful laugh of hers rings through out the air and suddenly the melancholy strung violins all disappear and the rain droplets thrum on mighty swings to riveting drums. “Though because of this you’re going to be owing me a long over due story, and yes, I want to know everything that I can’t remember, even the painful parts.”

The imp nods in agreement. This he is most certain he can now do. “Very well, I shall share you our tale, all of it… If I can get up that is.” A pathetic titter of his manages to break way through the noise around them.

Belle blinks down at him, and in that instant seems to understand the position that they’re in. Full lips gape at him like a fishes and the young woman removes her arms from near his head and sits up straight though she practically straddles him still. “Oh? I-”

“No-no, it’s not just that. My l-legs… My servos have locked up, thus why I am on the ground in the first place. I don’t know if I can move.”

Though her straddling still certainly means they are not going anywhere.

“Oh Crap! Here I am pushing you into a puddle while it rains cats and dogs.” Belle mutters, and then with a hefty sigh suddenly starts wriggling her arms free from within the sleeves of her sopping wet jacket.

“What are you doing now?” Rumplestiltskin asks as his split brows quirk up. He attempts to sit up as well, but as he props himself on his elbows that jacket of hers is pulled about his head. “What-” He sputters, then stops his attempt at questioning her when he understands what she is doing. Gently, she pulls the jacket about his head, keeping his face free, but covering his shoulders as well as his head from the rains direct contact.

“I can’t have you breaking down out here, no way am I going to let that happen.” She states firmly once more. Those blue eyes are determined and steeled with strength as she turns her gaze back to him. The knight before him is blazing and shining bright despite it being pitch black out with no moon in sight. “Don’t worry, I’ll protect you.”

He is floored but then again this woman is rather peculiar. Saving the beast from his death was not the usual route a knight went about.

“I know you will.” He agrees, on a hum. As Belle moves her knee from over him, releasing him, he sits up on his own. Within the confines of his head he attempts to reboot his motor servos and restore proper function, which is becoming surprisingly easier than it had been when he fell.

‘Was it because I was afraid? Is that it? Is my programing really holding me back or is it me?’ These thoughts alarm him and he is not sure what makes sense and what doesn’t. Was this programing even real or had he made it up? But if he wasn’t real how could he make up anything to begin with?

Something catches his vision right from the corner of his eye. He nearly misses it and would have if not for the glow ebbing from his sockets. 

Of course he would notice that little book about the stuffed rabbit in an instant, it was his and Belle’s treasure after all, but surprisingly the true owner didn’t even seem to notice the already ruined thing half in a puddle and on a patch of grass and weeds. Quickly he swipes it up and tucks it into his own coat against the pit of his arm to help protect it from worse damage and the elements still pelting them.

“Are you okay? Do you think you can stand yet?” Belle asks him upon her own two feet, looking down a the man sized animatronic with his head draped in her own small jacket.

Rumplestiltskin attempts to move one knee and hears a slight ‘pop’ within the joint. It doesn’t give in on him, though his leg does wobble as he attempts to rise up to full height. Belle then sticks out her hand toward him, looking absolutely concerned with each of his movements.

His large ugly hand gently takes in her small hand and with her aid he finally rises back to full height. Leather clad knees, covered in muck, knock together a moment but with each steadying second he is regaining full operations of his body.

“There. I think I’m alright to move.” He tries to mutter nonchalantly but Belle doesn’t seem to buy his suddenly care free act. “Actually, I could use some help… If you wouldn’t mind-”

“Yeah, let me just prop up against your side and help you back to the door. Don’t overwork yourself incase water gets into a port or something while we’re at it.” She chides him. Her tiny frame moves to his and holds itself against him without hesitation. Together they take their steps back towards Avonlea with her firm steps and his wobbly ones.

And much to their frustrations and the sweet irony of the world around them, the rain lessens its onslaught as they arrive at the back door.

—————

It feels like she’s been set on fire. Her head throbs in painful little beats alongside each of the thrums of her heart. Belle is sure if she keeps feeling like this, this burning across her body, that her brain will bubble and melt inside her head.

And yet she’s also so terribly cold that she curls up even tighter into the soft comforter that surrounds her.

Right now, the little girl is not sure where she is, this bed she is in seems familiar and much to her surprise it should be. The floral pattern she sees through blurry and semi opened eyes knows that this has to be her own comforter from her bed at home.

‘Home…’ She manages to think, against the sleep that tries to claim her once again and the sickness oozing through her whole body. ‘How did I… I was… I… I went to Avonlea? Right?’

She is not sure. She is not sure of anything right now, except that she is utterly miserable from head to toe.

“Belle?” A voice rings in the air. It’s muffled from the swelling in her ears but it manages to breach the mush clogged there in her head.

“P… Papa…” Belle croaks out, digging her small fingers tighter into the blankets and fighting off a massive set of shivers crawling down her spine. “Feeling… Awful…”

The presence of her father becomes a lot stronger when she sees his shape and form move to sitting beside her bed. Rolling her face from within the warm, but sweaty pillow, Belle sees his face hovering above. He looks just as awful as she must surely look except he’s not sick. Her fathers eyes are puffy and red, and he looks as if he has possibly cried-and papa never cries. 

The only time she’d ever seen him cry was at mothers funeral…

‘We had a fight didn’t we?’ Belle is sure of that at least. The memory stands out strong enough amongst the fuzz of everything else that had happened. In fact, she’s not sure what day it is or what is going on right now.

Suddenly, a violent whirling in her gut has her clenching at it and fighting back a gag.

“Oh my poor Blue-Belle.” Her father moves and sets a trash can right near where she lays. Desperately she tries to fight the nasty, repugnant taste building up in her throat but she can’t. With his help, his hand holding her steady and one keeping her wild locks back, she spews her guts into the trash can. There isn’t much but the awful act causes her to gag and spew again till she is left to dry heave. “There, don’t worry I’ve got you right now.”

“It hurts…” Belle moans after a minute of catching her breath. The awful feeling swells back down enough that with her fathers help, she is tucked back into bed and cleaned up around her face with a kleenex.

Her father smooths down her hair as he sits next to her, looking as if he’s bear witness to something most awful.

“What happened…” Belle attempts to ask, while quaking in her sweaty bed sheets. “I remember us getting in… a fight…”

“I’m so sorry for that Belle, I shouldn’t have spoken to you like that.” Her father begins, cutting off her poor efforts at communication. Right now she doesn’t want to speak but she’ll listen. “I broke my promise and treated you awfully… I’ve made so many mistakes in my life, but I never should have let this one happen and I… Should have told you the truth.”

Belle blinks slowly, trying to understand what it possibly is that her father has not admitted.

“We didn’t go to Australia to see your mother, because I am in a bind right now… I had to take a loan for the shop, and so I couldn’t afford us tickets.” One of his hands curls around the sparse fabric of her comforter, speaking volumes he did not. “The guilt over failing not only me, but you and your mother drove me over the edge. I let myself falter and give into my weakness. The drinking, the awful things I said about your mother and… Me hurting you is still inexcusable though.”

“Oh papa… I didn’t know…” Belle feels her eyes cinch up a bit, yet she’s too tired and hurting to shed any tears. “If you would have told me… I would have understood.”

“You have nothing to be sorry about Belle. I let my own shame get the better of me, but you put me in my place and reminded me of the father I promised to be.” Her father pats down her hair again, reminding her of how he used to pretend his hand was a spider in her hair when she was much younger, to tease her with as she yelped in playful fear. “I was so scared of loosing you… When the police finally called me this morning to let me know they found you…”

“Where… Did I go?”

He pauses, his fingers no longer combing through her hair in the soothing manner she much needed right now. “That doesn’t matter. You are going to be in some trouble for what you did by the way. But we’ll talk about that later, what matters right now is that you get some rest and try to fight this bug away.”

“Oh, I got… A bug?”

“Yeah, a pretty nasty flu bug, you didn’t eat much yesterday did you?”

“No… I wasn’t feeling well but I was too sad… I didn’t notice.”

“Well, I better let you get some rest, little Blue-Belle.” Her father ran his hand over her head one last time, before his chair squeaked and Belle could tell that he was leaving her. “If you need me again, I’m going to be right out in the living room, just yell for me.”

“Okay… I’m sorry… For running off.”

Yet where she ran off to was a giant blur and mystery. She could have sworn she ran off to Avonlea, but that seemed too crazy. Her mind swarmed with an odd voice speaking of things that she hadn’t dared spoken to anyone, not even her father. No, surely that was all just some figment of her imagination. How could there be such an peculiar bodiless voice at Avonlea in the middle of the night anyway?

Perhaps she’d get more answers in the morning…

She was too tired to think much more about it… Sleep… Sounded better than thinking about it.

“I love you.” Her father called out, in the quiet that settled like a layer of dust over everything.

“I love… You too.” Belle managed to mutter, as her breathing grew shallower and her mind began to flutter off elsewhere. The creak of her door slightly closing fell away into shifting sounds and noises within her own head. It speaks to her, this stranger that she feels she has met and yet has always known.

_‘There you are.’_

Yes, that voice and the world of Avonlea in the depth of night surely must have been a dream. But it wasn’t an awful one, nor one she wouldn’t mind having again. So as her little brain, fumbled by sickness, fell deeper and deeper into the land of the unconscious Belle felt her imagination soar and reform into a scene that was absolutely unreal.

_‘It’s good to see you again little one… Care for me to read you a story? It’s one I’m sure you already know.’_

There is a shape, fuzzy, out of focus in this dreamscape and Belle feels absolutely safe nearing it, though she has no clue who this being is or why he is here.

‘I’d love to hear it.’

_‘Well then, we’ll start from the beginning of course… Ahem. There was once a velveteen rabbit, and in the beginning he was really splendid.’_

—————

“We’re both a giant mess. Augh! These stains are never going to come out! I’m going to have to get another shirt.”

Two sets of muddy boots squeak as they enter Avonlea side by side. Belle can see clearly, even in the dark only picked away by her companions glowing eyes, that both her and Rumplestiltskin are practically sopping wet. Her own hair is plastered all about her neck in a rather itchy and bothersome mess, and the poor imp… His fluffy head of fake hair is strung almost nearly straight against his metal scalp, revealing to the security guard the funny fact that he had no ears hidden underneath the curls.

They make quite the odd pair once again.

She still can’t believe everything that’s happened tonight despite where they were presently. She can’t believe Rumplestiltskin and her had met, or that the book she’d been heart broken over losing had been here the entire time, nor that Rumplestiltskin out of all his opportunities and chances had only left Avonlea in twenty eight years when it meant protecting her.

‘He’s such a soft guy deep down for a ‘villain’.’ She amusingly thinks, looking up to the animatronic being who is practically glued to her side. It had been a bit of a challenge helping him back up to his feet at first, but she can tell now, from his more confident steps, that he can walk totally fine by himself. The joint of his knees aren’t popping and the usual clack of his steps faintly issues with each step.

Yet, he seems to refuse to release the arm that is draped firmly around her torso even as they step across the threshold together. This makes her smile push up against her cheeks.

Somehow, she couldn’t hold onto the anger that had consumed her wildly as it had not too long before all this had happened-the encounter out in the rain she meant. In fact, it all felt so utterly foolish. A book, even one given to her own mother and one of the last things of her she had, was not worth Rumplestiltskin’s life.

Oh! The book.

“Oh no! I dropped the book!” Belle squeaks suddenly, having in the heat of the moment completely forgotten it with her concern over Rumplestiltskin and herself. A flush, heavier than her current one, sweeps over her face at this realization. Shame overwhelms her and yet the tears don’t nearly come as quickly as they had earlier. “Even if I go back out to find it the thing has to be ruined now!”

The mechanical man beside her softly squeezes her waist as well as emits a tittering sound to catch her attention. A smile creeps up his artificial face, and he withdraws his arm wrapped about her. Instead of flourishing about like she thought he would to surely tease her for losing such a valuable object that hand of his reaches underneath his jacket and withdraws the book right before her eyes.

“My book!” Belle cries in delight, not afraid of looking childish at all in this response.

“I noticed it on the ground as I was getting up.” Rumplestiltskin states, before his face falls slightly into a frown when a bit of mud slops off of the small tales cover. “Though I am afraid that it truly is now no longer a very usable book, dearest. It’s got to be quite ruined from the rain anyways.”

“Yeah… I-I suppose you’re right.” Belle sighs softly. “But we can still clean it up as we’re cleaning ourselves. Which by the way,” The security guard stops in her tracks, halting the two giant messes that were standing in the middle of the hallway. The imp quirks his head back towards her, still holding onto the book. “We can’t go into my office, or we’ll get the carpet dirty. We’re going to have to strip and clean our boots in the bathroom. Then by the looks of it, mop up afterwards.”

“Ugh… Such a troublesome thing rain is. I’ve never gotten muddy before and I don’t plan on doing so again.” The imp points out, brushing a metal hand against his knee and smudging a good portion of muck against it as well as onto the floor.

Belle really noticed then, the mud clinging to the machines face, a bit hanging off the tip of his nose even. A laugh ensued deep from within her gut and she carefully reached her hand up as the imp was preoccupied to brush a bit off grime from his cheek. Those wild amber eyes ‘clicked’ back to hers and she just gave him a pleased look.

“There’s a first time for everything isn’t there?”

Rumplestiltskin gives that tiny smile, his nervous one but the one that is quite real. “I-suppose there is, isn’t there.”

The two of them end up, due to their messy status, in the women’s bathroom where they sit in the glow of the fluorescent light to properly clean up. Belle, without much thought, had instantly stripped off her ruined white shirt-though Rumplestiltskin had balked immediately and nearly knocked off the paper towel dispenser on the wall in order to turn from her and shy away his sight.

“Rumple, I’m not naked, I’m wearing a tank top underneath, or else you would have already seen a lot more of me already tonight.” She teased him, but the imp had looked quite embarrassed still which softened her humor and made her take his hand and pull him back into the room.

“Give me a warning next time though, dearest!” The imp huffs, attempting to be simply irritated at this point now.

“Alright, alright. Just as a forewarning I am keeping my pants on for right now, I’m much cleaner than you are overall. But you should take off your coat, vest and shirt at least, I’ll need to take the vest and shirt home so I can wash them for you.” Belle points out and so she manages to, for the second time in her life, get the the animatronic to strip down to just his breeches.

Though it takes both of them and nearly twenty minutes to even get his mud slathered boots completely unlaced.

“Good grief! Now I see why you’d never take off your boots!” Belle groans when she manages to get to the last bit of lace for his high legged boots, while he works on the other one.

The imp snorts a quirky sound and a silence settles between them. With a sudden ‘pop’ Rumplestiltskin frees his leg from his boot and gives a rather funny laugh that has Belle looking at him in mild concern. “Oh,” He stops his laugh, though amusement still shines heavy in his fake eyes. “It’s just, I haven’t seen my foot in years. It’s not like I have to take my boots off and you just saw first hand how troubling-”

Belle suddenly starts giggling and covers her mouth. “You have toes!” Belle sees the human like segmented digits wriggle a bit at Rumplestiltskin’s own command and somehow the sight is hilarious.

“Of course I do! I have to walk around after all!” The imp says abashedly and works on freeing his other foot finally before joining Belle in wiping his boots off with wetted rags they have borrowed from the supply closet. “Look at us both, I hardly imagined this was what we’d be doing tonight. I suppose game night isn’t going to be happening after all…”

Belle just works quietly for a bit, taking her wetted rag and cleaning an edge to her shoe. “No I suppose we won’t be… Another time then.”

Her blue eyes carefully flicker back up to the machines face, and she can see a level of focus in the lines of his face that goes far further than cleaning his boots. This absentminded moments are the moments she can truly see the ‘being’ within the metal form before her. There is nearly a ‘tired’ look, an ‘aged’ look with the spheres in their sockets as his large hands go about their work in near perfect human like movements.

She wonders about their story, how she had sort of  met this one of a kind character and never recalled him. As her hands still their movement, she thinks of asking him now to tell his tale, they have all the time in the world or so it feels like.

However she can’t, the odd voice of his speaks up out of the blue, splitting the silence with his high timbre.

“There was once a velveteen rabbit, and in the beginning he was really splendid. He was fat and bunchy, as a rabbit should be; his coat was spotted brown and white, he had real thread whiskers, and his ears were lined with pink sateen.” Belle sat up straight, staring point on at her companion as his own eyes stayed focus only on the boot in hand. “On Christmas morning, when he sat wedged in the top of the Boy’s stocking, with a sprig of holly between his paws, the effect was charming.”

And before Belle knew it, the whole entire story of the Velveteen Rabbit came forth from Rumplestiltskin. He needed no aid in telling it as the little book he told line are line of was tucked neatly at his side with damaged cover closed. So enchanted she was by this retelling from the machine, who not once stumbled on a word nor took too long of a pause to break the spell, she forgot all about her own dirtied boots right next to her.

Things changed as the tale reached its end. Rumplestiltskin whose voice began to waver, closed his eyes and became apparently pained with how his features scrunched up.

“But he never knew that it really was his own Bunny, come back to look at the child who had first helped him to be… to… be…” The imp sits up now, as if his own story telling had lulled him into the same state it had her and he just broke free. His hand stills, no longer brushing against the boot that is practical clean again save the stains in the dark laces looped in his lap. “I’ve read that story, too many times to count. I’ve memorized it all to the point I don’t even need to read the book to tell it, but yet I still read it time and time again.”

Belle curls her arm around her semi soggy knees, feeling the damp pants against the heat of her flesh.

“I’ll tell you how I’ve come to know this tale so well.” He gives a slight hum, opening his eyes again to look at her. Somehow, Belle feels in this moment she’s always known the being before her, long before becoming a security guard, before even moving to the states, before she knew anything at all. “On a June night, fourteen years ago, you came to Avonlea with tears streaming down your face and a pain no kid should bear.”

“A June day… That had to have been the day that marked my mothers death.” Belle finally speaks up, her throat feeling oddly dry and parched, as if she hadn’t drank anything in days. “I remember getting into a fight with my father…”

He nods, still seeming so collected despite his usual personality behind his masks. Belle knew anxieties of all kinds existed within the machine, it was clear that the fears within him stemmed from places with rightful reasons. He was being very brave right now, letting her see ‘him’ as no one had before.

“It was surely something to do with your mother, for in the darkness I heard you cry and beg for her.” He looks absolutely hurt after saying this, as if her own pain has somehow attached itself to him.

“Despite all reasons and logic within me I chose to speak to you that night. I hid away in the darkness and questioned you, to try and understand why my world was completely upside down all of a sudden. As you bore your pain… The pain of feeling rejected and unloved, by your mother-” The words hit sharply within her chest and Belle manages to stop the pained gasp from escaping her lips. Somehow he still catches this, he just knows as always, and he suddenly holds out his hand for her.

“It’s okay-it’s okay. I’m here, Belle.” Rumplestiltskin quickly says, worry, care, and fear sparking in his eyes. Fear for her, for her well being, for her feelings, for her happiness. It’s almost more than she can bear.

Belle nudges closer to him, enough so that her hand can grip his and allow her fingers in thread themselves between his cold ones.

He continues, when he feels as if she’s fine and she thanks him for that.

“You spoke of how you felt alone, how you’d rather… Rather be dead than keep on going.” The imp pauses and Belle squeezes his hand, knowing that he might not be able to feel but knows she’s pressing against him. “I wasn’t sure what to do, I was made to make kids happy and I’m not very good at it. It was then that I noticed the little book with you and so I took it. You told me it was a gift from your mother, the only thing you had left, so I started putting some pieces together. I offered you a chance to find her, if for a short amount of time.”

Belle’s eyes widen, as her lips gape a bit open in shock of what her friend spoke of. The thread bare images of such a scene float in her mind, and she thinks perhaps she had remembered this happening… But it only as a dream.

“Did I find her?”

The imp smiles a bit though her voice had quivered more than she liked. Yet, if Rumplestiltskin was going to bear himself wholly to her than she would as well.

“I think so. I read the story to you, so you could think of the times she’d read it to you.” He explains, his free hand rising a bit in movement as it usually did. “When I finished you asked me to read it again after thanking me… No one has ever… No matter. You fell asleep shortly after, and it’s when I emerged and saw you that I recognized you from… My times I’ve peaked out at the world. The little girl who played Ms. Pacman, and sat at the table near the closest window with a book.”

“That was definitely me.” Belle notes in nostalgia.

“But when I found you asleep I knew something was wrong, you were sick. I knew nothing about taking care of a human like that so there was little I could do. You were very ill by the time Avonlea reopened, I left you to be found by Mr. Getto who then called for your father and the police. In the mess of it all, trying to hide myself when people began to arrive, I had forgotten to leave the book with you and had accidentally kept it.”

“I told myself I would give the book back when you returned but… You didn’t return for a long, long time. In that time I waited, my hope despaired to see you again but… Belle… Meeting you, and you losing that book, your most precious thing…”

He squeezes her hand this time around, and though the action is gentle the hand around hers is trembling.

“I was in the depths of my despair when you arrived at Avonlea. I’m not sure if I’d still be ar-around if that night never occurred.” The imp’s voice is hushed now, and she has to strain to hear every pained word. Her own heart pounds within her chest, spreading the hurt through out her body as she understood what he spoke of. “There was no hope in me at all that I even belonged in this world any longer… Till I read that story about that silly rabbit… Whenever my small light seemed to go out entirely I read that book over and over again until it came back.”

“Oh Rumple…” Belle cries out for him, feeling the tears once again well up at her eyes. Somehow, her actions, her choice of sneaking into Avonlea in the dead of night had changed the entire world for someone. To think that her little story and her own tale had saved the ‘life’ of this being before her. “I’m glad then. I’m so truly glad!”

He looks up at her then, she watches as his eye lids shoot all the way back into his skull as she edges closer to him. Gently, she wraps her arms over his shoulders and presses her face against his neck, listening to the thrum of equipment and gears rushing inside of him. His own heart beat, she liked to think, was rocketing away within himself.

“Glad?” He questions on a whisper. Belle smiles into his neck and nuzzles into the cold metal that touches her lips. He can’t feel it, so she can save herself at least from the embarrassment of her tears that now glide down his throat.

“I’m glad… That in all these years, looking and wondering, I never found my book, if it meant it helped you.” Every last drop of hurt as well as the anger washes away with those spoken words. A small laugh gurgles out of her throat which causes the animatronic in her grasp to tilt its head so his chin poked the top of her head. Not an ounce of fear squirms through her with his fearsome jaws being so close against her skull, she knows him so much better now than to even think he’d do such a thing.

He is the being who watched over her, protected her from the moment they met, never again would she fear him as she had. Not for herself anyways.

The imp makes a quirky sound, absolutely nervous though this is far from the first time she’s hugged him or laid against him. “Such a strange creature… Though it is rather late of me to return your book, now is better than never.” Belle pulls back from him, and looks up to his face. Rumplestiltskin grabs the small book near his leg, which will forever be scarred from today no mater how hard they tried to clean its pages up, and holds it out to her. Belle unlatches one of her arms to trace her fingers against the books cover, delicately following the little worn illustrated rabbits curves. “Here, take it.”

Belle shakes her head and wraps her hand around his own holding the book, pushing it back till it was up against his barren chest where a heart should reside.

“No, you keep it. Though it means the world to me you offered it back the truth is, it’s not mine anymore.”

He looks utterly suprised again, jerking back from her slightly though she presses the book firmly against his chest. She gives him a knowing look, telling him all he needed to know without opening her mouth.

Though this is the last thing her mother gave her still around, and she treasures it beyond all means, in no good conscience can she take it from him. For a few years she had enjoyed the little book and its meaning it had for her but for many, many, more years he has loved it entirely for what it is and the memory it holds for him. Why else would he keep something as simple as a children’s story locked away from harm and sight? Deep beneath things that one would think he would be more apt to keep secret-the photos and clippings about the accident long ago, he chose to keep a book even more safe.

It’s clear right now that Rumplestiltskin is at a loss for words for his lips move and his hinged jaw trembles but no sound comes out of his mouth. Belle smiles again at him as she releases her hold around his neck as well as the book and his hand, hoping he truly understands what she is meaning to say.

Then, much to her own surprise, though he trembles still, Rumplestiltskin slowly lifts his free hand up near her face. Belle feels her intake of air pause all together with this action that has her heart pounding in a flurry in her chest. That hand of his cups the bottom of her jaw as well as her cheek in such a feather like touch she is not sure if he’s even brushing her skin. All the young woman can do is stare at the mechanical man inches from her, awe struck herself.

He is a mess, his damp hair still clings to his skull and mud still coats parts of his nose and cheeks, but it only reminds her of the brave thing he has done tonight, all for her.

Rumplestiltskin leans in, pauses for a moment, letting the silence build and grow, before he lowers his lips and kisses her gently on the forehead. His lips are much softer than they look, not near as cold either as she imagined they might be. The flurry pounding in her chest only rises in speed and Belle feels herself tremble slightly in the few seconds this moment lasts.

The imp withdraws quickly but carefully, as if afraid to disturb her enough she will flee from him altogether. He has no need to worry about that, Belle confirms within herself, she has no where else she’d rather be right now.

“Thank you Belle…” He whispers to her, removing his hand from her face and having it hover in the air beside them. The awkward look upon his artificial visage suddenly shifts entirely and a guff comes out of his throat. Belle feels her cheeks heat even more, absolutely confused as to what this unpredictable machine was on about now. “Oh-Oops!” The imp suddenly titters. “It seems I’ve now added some mud to your person, dearest!”

“Oh! Yuck!” Belle laughs wiping at her brow that now has a splotch of mud dappled upon it, the action doesn’t really help. “I swear I’ll be finding mud on my person for weeks now.”

“I’m afraid that will be the case for me as well.” Rumplestiltskin replies, picking up a clean rag and wiping at her brow, sending another throb through out her heart at his care. A  _dangerous_ feeling threatens to work its way up as she holds still for him. He is gentle, as always, and smiles at her when he is done. “Er, sorry… For making such a mess.”

“Don’t be. Rumple… I’m very proud of you.” He blinks again and Belle pats his shoulder in an affectionate manner. “You left Avonlea today, something that was up to you entirely. You did a very foolish thing I will admit, but it was also a brave thing, and for me too!”

“What! I had to make sure-I mean-can’t let the security guard get hurt or sick after all!” The imp flounders about, hands moving in rhythm with his apparent embarrassment. “It would be a shame if the Sorcerer had no Knight to battle with, life would be ever so… Dull!” The imp wiped a bit of mud from his person and stuck it on the tip of Belle’s nose earning a disgusted squeak from the small woman. He in response emitted a giggle of delight as Belle fumed and picked up one of his boots to chuck at his head, since the bottoms of these shoes reading ‘ZOSO’ were still muddy and had plenty enough to make more of a mess on his person again.

“Oh, you dirty sneaky imp!”

“Careful dearest, this is a fight you might not win!  _Augh!_ You really wiped it on me!”

It was strange, completely strange, that in the dead of night in the dreary wee rainy hours, Avonlea was full of life. Somehow all the pain and suffering that had occurred in one building seemed to have washed away from the heart and gears of the two beings left inside.

And the rain, spitting away outside, began to pour again, bouncing off the ceilings and muffling out the sounds of laughter coming from within Avonlea Family Fun Center.

—————

He hears someone coming, someone coming into Avonlea.

‘It’s already seven-Mr. Getto is here!’ Rumplestiltskin practically squawked within his own skull, as he whips his head around on its metal joint in direction towards of the back of the building. Fear begins to ebb up within him and yet he can’t get himself to run or escape like he should this very moment.

The little girl right beside him, is shivering and mumbling in pain, underneath the large coat he hand managed to dig up to try to keep her warm. He doesn’t know if she should be warm with how flush she looks, he’s never taken care of a human before in this manner-he wasn’t a nurse, he wasn’t even a good children’s entertainer.

“Someone is here, they’re going to help you, okay? I must go-” Rumplestiltskin feels the joints in his body clench in some foreign sensation as he forced himself up to his feet. Belle, this small child, looks so helpless and tiny from his full height and it scares him, for her. Desperately he wants to see this through, to make sure she is found and given the best care and aide but he can’t, and it bites and pulls at his programming, disrupting codes and making him-weak.

“Wait…” She mumbles as he manages to make a silent step away, to get back to his safe hide out just to live another day spent utterly alone. “Don’t go…” She cries softly, and Rumplestiltskin’s eyes ‘click’ back down to her face that was hidden in her wild hair.

He has to. Mr. Getto is already through the back door at this point, he can tell from the tiniest ‘clop’ of his shoes echoing and reverberating through the air and floor.

“I’m sorry but I have to. Good bye, Blue-Belle.” The imp manages to whisper, before turning tail and scurrying back behind the curtain, disappearing on silent steps through the door and into the back hall. Mr. Getto is already at his office now, so the imp has enough calculated time to get to his closest, to the safe space behind a wall.

‘Wait! Oh no!’ The imp realizes something, something he hadn’t before he left the sick child so she could be found and helped.

Her book, the one about the velveteen rabbit was still tightly held within his grasp. The machine looks down at it for a sparse moment, conflicted about having enough time to go back and leave it or just taking it with him. Mr. Getto makes that decision for him when he hears the mans office chair creak in the thick silence surrounding them.

“Is-Is someone there?”

There is no time, he is forced to hold onto the book that is not his as he returns to his hideaway. He manages to do so, closing the door to his sanctuary with just the right amount of pressure it does not creak or groan even as it aligns with the frame. The small portion of wall at the back is easily moved and Rumplestiltskin crawls within, placing the portion back into it’s proper place.

Now, in the darkness with his glowing eyes popping back on, casting the hollow portion of building into yellow light, he waits.

He waits and listens to the world around him, trying to see within his mind exactly what was taking place. In the distance, only a minute later, he hears a cry. Then the shuffle of Mr. Getto’s feet, coming from his office, down the hall towards the front of the building.

“Hello? Is someone there?”

“Oh-Oh my god!”

Rumplestiltskin sits up straight as a column, his body stilling perfectly as the sounds out beyond break through the walls enough he can make them out slightly. A defensive reaction flashes within his mind, begging him to go back out and make sure the child was okay-but he couldn’t! He couldn’t go back out there! It wasn’t as if he could really help. Now that Mr. Getto was here the girl could actually get some proper aid, her father would be called and the police surely notified immediately.

“Hello-Hello, are you alright? My god.  _How did you get in here?_ ”

Before he knows it, the scene falls into alarm and a chaotic mess. Avonlea’s worried owner went about calling the police and after doing so the phone had seemed to be ringing non stop. Mr. Getto must have brought Belle back to his office, for he could hear her partial crying as they passed by.

Not before long there is police sirens wailing thinly near the front of the building.

Several people enter the front of Avonlea after that, one voice-a man’s voice, is shouting and worked up in what Rumplestiltskin can clearly notify is fear. Instinctively he knows this must be the girls father.

He sits there, hearing all this, clutching the book between both segmented hands.

‘It’s alright now, she’s been taken care of… She’ll be okay.’ He thinks to himself, over and over again. The noise and scene beyond his hideaway starts to die down somewhat over time but he can hear two people speaking close by, the girls father and Mr. Getto.

“I think she must have hid in the bathroom Mr. French, there was a puddle of water and mud in one of the stalls. We’re going to have this fixed immediately by having locks put on the public bathroom doors so this never happens again.”

“It’s my fault this all happened, I’m so sorry… But thank you for watching out for my daughter… I don’t know what I’d have done if I lost her.”

They continue to talk but their conversation grows too faint and muffled before Rumplestiltskin can no longer properly hear. All the calamity dies down, it seems despite the chaos and disruption from normal everyday life here at Avonlea they are going right back to their business. A faint sight issues from his metal throat as he curls closer around himself, relieved that everything is alright. The girl is safe and he has not been found out, not yet anyways…

‘She might tell though. What if she speaks of the voice that had appeared in the darkness?’ The worrisome thought enters his mind. That is true, he could be found out because he chose to help her. Perhaps not before long Mr. Getto would flush him out and he’d be destroyed like he should have been properly years ago. Yet the imp can’t grow angry at all towards himself for choosing to help the little girl.

It’s the first time in years he’s been useful, the first time in ages he’s made someone feel better, done what he was created to do.

‘If having done this means my end… Then it’ll be worth it.’

Rumplestiltskin uncurls himself a bit, enough that he can in this slightly illuminated space look at the book he has accidentally kept. His eyes lid as a mirthful look crosses his green gold scaled features, crinkling the age lines around the corner of his mouth. This thing in his hands is clearly loved, just as the rabbit within its pages had been loved by the little boy. A tad bit of melancholy washes over him as he realizes that the girl will desperately miss this.

‘If she returns I’ll find a way to give it back.’ The animatronic reasons while his clawed fingers flip the cover open back to the beginning. ‘She visits often so I doubt I’ll have to wait long.’

Still, while she is gone and he awaits the day she’ll come back, he might as well make sure this loved book does not fade away into darkness, lost and forgotten by everyone. Rumplestiltskin turns and nestles himself into the corner of his space, turning his faux eyes over the title page to the first one, where a little line art rabbit sat at the top.

Yes, he would take care of this little Belle’s book till the day she came back to Avonlea.

His creaky voice, soft and faint breached the stuffy musty air while he lost himself to the words, the tale, and fell in place with the stuffed toy. 

“There was once a velveteen rabbit, and in the beginning  _he was really splendid_.”


	16. Chapter 16

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Now that he is no longer bound to Avonlea’s walls, Rumplestiltskin feels that perhaps his future is not so limited, though he is sure his time with Belle still is. However, a terrible incident leaves Belle from working her shift at Avonlea for a week and thus leaving her mechanical companion to try to think of someway he can make her happy again.

The bag crinkles loudly, far too loudly in the comfortable silence.

Crunch. Crunch. Crunch.

After growing in volume it quiets back down in the rhythmic pattern. Then another wave of plastic rippling starts again.

Crunch. Crunch. Crunch.

The robotic imp is forced to look up from his reading at this point, his amber eyes swiveling in their sockets over to the source of the bothersome noise.

Crunch. Crunch. Crunch.

The security guard is the cause for all of this, he already knows that much. She sits back in her chair, with a book in one hand and her other digging into a bag of salty potato chips which she munches on in this repeated pattern. He watches with mild curiosity as Belle reaches her hand into the snacks once more, retrieves a chip, and slides it past those rosy colored lips to disappear into her mouth.

Lately, he's been thinking of those lips and it causes wires to squirm due to pulses of electricity within the metal cage of his chest.

He's not sure why he's turned to glancing at them more often, it's completely strange. For one he can't actually feel so it's not like he could even enjoy touching those lips with fingers or his very own pair. Kissing, anyways, is such a strange concept. Sure he's seen humans kiss numerous times before, he understands very much what it means and he knows there are various kinds of kisses that people shared. Overall, it was a human desire and comfort, not anything a non living being such as he should long for.

Then again, the animatronic wasn't a normal machine now was he?

Rumplestiltskin quickly flicked his eyes away from the profile of his Knight, feeling rather ashamed of himself that he was even thinking of possibly ever getting a kiss from her-with his disgusting fake lips slanted against her beautiful true ones. After all he was a 'monster' and a 'thing', he could never be considered human enough to ever obtain such a thing from any woman at all. _'Especially not Belle.'_ The machine sadly thought to himself as he looked at the tiled floor he sat upon.

He didn't deserve to even think about tainting Belle further with his awful touch.

"Ow!" Belle yelps a moment, startling the imp from his thoughts. Quickly, he turns to the small human who is cradling one of her cheeks and looking quite distraught. Those sharp blue eyes of hers snap to his as she gives him a bashful smile that crinkles her eyes slightly despite the pain in them. "I ate a chip too fast and it jabbed my mouth."

"Well, slow down there then you silly knight." Rumplestiltskin teases behind his borrowed book which earns him a frown and a glance full of depreciation. "No need to gobble them up, the chips aren't-" He raises a hand and lets his fingers 'run' across the top of the book. "Going to scurry off from you."

"Hey, I didn't get to eat much today for your information. I was too busy with my other job and helping my dad out at the shop, he's getting busy with fall orders again. Ugh… Right now I could totally go for a hamburger at Granny's." Belle gives a heavy sigh and then crinkles up the bag and sets it aside on her desk near the active tablet.

'That is really utterly useless to even have on since it's a looped feed.' He thinks every time he sees it, but Belle continues to check every so often regardless.

"I swear I'm reaching the point any opening for another part time job here in Storybrooke would be much appreciate, or why can't a full time one open up. Running back and forth from here to Boston all the time is killing me."

Rumplestiltskin frowns slightly from behind his paper shield, not letting Belle see his empathetic distress for her. Just like him she doesn't care for needless pity-though he isn't pitying her, not at all.

It was over half way through November and still Belle hadn't found a much better job opportunity within the local area (which was a complaint he overhead Avonlea employees talking about all the time). Honestly, he hoped she could find something so she could take care of her father and herself far easier. Long nights like this were probably taking their toll physically as well as mentally on the woman, and he didn't want that. She deserved so much better than this.

However, part of him dreaded the day that she would finally leave.

Time was moving fast, faster than he remembered after all the long years spent here cooped up alone. Soon before he knows it, whether their deal is still active or not-for he is not sure at this point, he will be left here to lurk in the darkness all alone again. Perhaps Mr. Getto will hire another security guard, but he doubts he will ever meet another person like Belle in the eternity that seems to stretch on ahead of him. No, he will have to hide away again with no one to talk to, to care for, to sit with and just feel less like the monstrosity he is…

Yet, more than all of that, he just doesn't want to lose Belle. Desperately he has tried to keep himself from growing attached, but he knows he has failed miserably on that endeavor. If he had a 'heart' at all, as humans so described it, it was already willingly hers. It had been from the moment he'd met her as a child and had only grown tremendously upon knowing her as a grown woman.

'So long as Belle is happy I can burden that loneliness again.' The thought hurts, cuts straight through the steel and plates into his very being-the him that lurks through this awful body. 'Get a grip imp! There's no point on just lingering on the upcoming future yet. I might as well just enjoy the time I have left with Belle before it's gone.'

It sparks hope back into his system, though it will work for only the little while the vile sorcerer has remaining with his beautiful knight.

"Belle." He speaks up, as she rubs her still wounded cheek while attempting to go back to reading her book.

"Yes?" She tilts her head, spilling her locks of brown over her shoulders with the movement. That's another part of her that's always caught his gaze, those rich auburn curls that he desperately wishes to twine his fingers in and watch the metal digits thread gently through.

"Would you like to stand outside with me?" He asks, attempting to sound confident, shooting her a impish smile that lights a grin on her own face. "I think I'm feeling up to trying to walk farther tonight than a few days ago. Only if you can handle the challenge that is."

"I'm sure I can handle that much, Rumple. Some fresh air would do me some good as well, help me feel less sleepy." The woman says, rubbing at one corner of her eye before standing up and stretching her limbs. Belle makes a small sound as her arms lift above her head and Rumplestiltskin finds he very much likes these adorable noises his knight makes.

'Stop that. Stop that right now.' His data created mind snaps and thus ceases his continual 'examination' of the security guard.

There is much he is better off not thinking about, especially 'cute noises' his companion makes and why it sends jolts to the tips of his toes whenever he hears them. Rumplestiltskin rises alongside his security guard, setting his book down with hers as she drapes on her thick fluffy coat. In a playful manner he goes about reaching forward and assisting her with the buttons, which gets him a smacked hand and a forced frown upon her face. Together though, they make way for the back door that doesn't even make him flinch (perhaps only a little) when he steps through.

Since that rainy night nearly three weeks ago, Rumplestiltskin has found a new sense of freedom creeping into his hardware and circuits, it's the longing to truly feel it. The programming that had harassed and contained him for so long did not ring or scream in his head any longer, at least not when it came to leaving Avonlea. With Belle's assistance, he has now made three trips out beyond the door but not too far from the safety of the building or its distance incase of peering eyes.

His first real 'planned' trip had been sort of difficult. His servos designated towards his legs had attempted locking up again, but the little knight stood by his side and helped him walk once around the entire building.

Now, as both of them stand near her car, staring up at the cloudless night sky where half a moon hung above, he felt no restrictions in his limbs.

The animatronic flexed his elbow, testing the joint just to be sure. It 'clicked' and 'clacked' just like it always did and he grinned, a slightly toothy smile, at his segmented limb finally cooperating with his efforts.

"You're not having any issues are you?" Belle asks beside him. A thermal of coffee sits in her gloved hands, helping ward off the cold she says is drifting back over Maine with winters approach. That thick fluffy coat of hers looks oddly snug against her frame, aiding in keeping in the warmth she needs to survive, as she rests against the front end of her vehicle.

"No, everything is working fine. I think so long as I don't get spooked or… _You know._ I should be fine to walk around even by myself now." He titters. For once he is a bit excited at the proposition of this new found freedom, though he knows deep down that he's only truly extended the reach of his cage by a bit. " Don't worry your little head though, dearest. I'm not going to risk getting caught by anyone or getting you in trouble. I'll only venture out on dark nights or with you, when you're around."

Belle cranes her head more to him, gazing at him with a slightly worried look creasing the faint lines of her face. 'How odd! Normally I'm the one most worried out of the two of us.' The machine notes within his head.

"Just promise me you'll be careful alright? When I'm not here."

The animatronic flourishes a hand, looking a bit sheepish with his split metal brows breaching upwards on their little tracks. "I swear I intend to keep far away from any pesky humans that wander by. I don't want to end up possibly… Hurting them or scaring them-too much." The guilt washes back over him and instantly he regrets thinking he should even be leaving Avonlea at all that. It was his cage, but it was better off being called a prison, and his sentence was to spend all eternity kept away from the probability of him hurting anyone ever again.

Even though blood eventually washes away, it's was still stained against his claws and teeth forever.

Brown curls bounce underneath the clasp of Belle's visor, as she shakes her head at him. "No-not that. Though I do worry about you having another fit one day. However, I think it's only under severs situations you do that, but what I'm really saying is that I don't want you getting found out and possibly reported. If you got hurt-I-I…" Belle stops speaking and she looks conflicted with how her brows furrow and her rosy lip is being held between her teeth.

Afraid that sadness was bubbling up to take his dear companion Rumplestiltskin practically jumped right in front of her, putting on a grand display of theatrics to help keep the tears at bay. "Now! Now! You know I can't get hurt, dearest! Nyeh! Well, it'd take a lot more than any normal means to get rid of me." He titters again while flaunting his fingers in a pointed jab aimed at her nose. "Face it. You're stuck with me wether you like it or not."

However his forced laughter dies when he finds her face completely void of any humor, as serious as one can be, and staring hard at him.

"Seriously, listen to me. If you got 'hurt' I don't know what I would do, so just be smart Rumple. I know you're very witty and you can best judge a situation-more so than me at times, but still…"

Rumplestiltskin flinches a bit as he feels an unidentified pressure wrapping around the shell of his hand. Looking down with his orbs for eyes, the mechanical man sees that it is one of Belle's hand, wrapped around his own. Once again their digits intertwine and he marvels at the contact. Her hand is smaller compared to his, and it feels like she was made to fit between the notches-actually it was more than likely he was made just for hers.

Abruptly it flutters back up, the dangerous and foreign feelings that spark within in his chest.

"Actually! This just reminded me of something. Hold on-" Belle chirps, setting her thermal on her car (choosing to not let go of his hand) as she dug into her coat pocket. A gloved hand withdrew her cellphone, the small device he knew was like a regular land line phone but could do so much more, almost like a computer. It beeped repeatedly as she seemed to be doing something while pressing it's small buttons. "Here. I'm going to give you my phone number. Incase anything ever happens you can call me from the landlines here at Avonlea, and I'll be here as fast as I possibly can."

"That is a smart idea, though I don't want to get you involved if anything were to happen…" Rumplestiltskin replied, but the woman didn't seem to care at all about that worrisome thought of his. She never did. Belle was selfless in that sense, always putting other people before herself regardless if her own well being was on the line too. It was a remarkable trait of hers, one of the many she seemed to have that kept coming to light every night they were together.

Instead of arguing further he sighs dramatically for effect. "Ah, I should know at this point there is no stopping the stubborn knight when she gets an idea."

"Hey-I'm a stubborn knight now? What happened to the noble title?" Belle laughs, rosy cheeks pushing up with delight. "Very well equally stubborn sorcerer, I accept your title, but let me still give you my number. It's not the same area code as Storybr-"

Suddenly, Belle's phone began to ring a silly little pop melody Rumplestiltskin has heard on the radio over head in Avonlea many, many, times.

_'Golden lights, tunnel white-if I ran to you would you stay?'_ The tune sings to them both.

"It's rather odd you've got a call at this time of night? Hmmm." The imp puts a finger to his chin in wonder, but as swiftly as it came the curiosity he felt rise fell straight into dread. Right now, according to his internal clock, it was a little past three in the morning, and no one should be calling in dead of night unless… It was an emergency.

"It's the hospital."

Belle's face had fallen into a despair so apparent while she stared at the tiny screen that just for a moment Rumplestiltskin thought he'd might have to take hold of her arms to keep her upright. Her hand in his instantly let go and Belle quickly answered the call, holding the device up to her head.

"H-Hello? Yes, this is Belle-Is-Okay," A pause. Belle stared off into the tree line, no longer looking as joyful as she had a few moments ago but more frightened than he had seen from her in a long while. "My father is he okay? Was it an actual heart attack? Oh… Yes. Yes-I'm here in town at my night job… I can be over there as soon as I can, Avonlea is just about a ten minute drive away. Okay-Thank you. Please, please, call me incase anything else happens!"

'Click'.

Her frantic voice doesn't take the time to stop and let her properly regain her breath as she whirls to him in an emotional flurry. "I'm sorry Rumple but I have to go-my father." She's getting worked up, he can literally feel the anxiety ebbing off of her at this point. "He's headed to the hospital, they just picked him up in an ambulance and he's probably already there again. I've got to go-I have to make sure he's okay."

"Of course-go! Make sure your father is okay." He replies in a heart beat, not at all caring about being left for the rest of the night.

"I'm scared-they said this was really bad this time." She nearly reaches out her hands as if to grab onto him-her blue eyes are scrunched up to avoid exposing the pain that is fighting to free itself.

"Breathe, my Belle, breathe." He warns her, though she sputters a moment further. Finally she stills when he places his hands on her shoulders, his grip sets her back down into reality. "I'll get your purse, and you start your car. I'll get you out on the road as fast as I can."

Instantly he lets go of her and darts back towards Avonlea, slipping past the propped open door and into her office as fast as he can on his metal legs. Her purse is all scooped up in one hasty swing of his arm, and then he's back out the door again before even a minute has gone by. Belle is already in the drivers seat of her four seated passenger car, the engine purrs mildly while she wipes at her eyes and attempts to remain calm.

"Here." Rumplestiltskin hands her purse over, but remains at the door side instead of moving back like he ought to. Honestly he's more worried for her safety right now-she looks near about to have a panic attack herself. Yet, he reminds himself, she is a strong woman who has handled more suffering than most normal people around Storybrooke ever have. Deep down the animatronic believes-no, he knows she'll make it there fine... She had to.

"What about locking up the back door-the alarm, I didn't arm it." The young woman frets with him near, and her fair complexion just grows redder. Rumplestiltskin just reaches over and pats her hand that is clenched on the steering wheel comfortingly.

"Don't worry, I'll take care of it. Just get to the hospital-but safety mind you! The staff there doesn't need two French's hospitalized."

"Thank you-Thank you." Belle quickly leans forward, and kisses his cheek. It's a quick peck, one he barely even sensed press against the silicone stretched over the metal shell of his face before she withdraws again. The brave woman he has come to know is regaining herself already with how her face steels in concentration. "I don't know if I'll be back, or if I'll be back tomorrow, but I'll try to let you know when I figure it out. Good bye Rumple."

He steps back, missing the touch of her hand already and watches as she closes the door and begins to back out. Soon, her little car is speeding out the parking lot and down the winding road headed towards the far other end of town. Altogether Belle finally disappears from his sight, and it's only then the machine can move himself from his spot his boots decided to lay roots deep down into.

Though, odd enough, it's difficult for him to move suddenly. His joints creak and groan in utter protest when he shifts his legs, and his servos are trying their damn hardest not to lock up. A gasp escapes his hinged jaw when the machine nearly stumbles over on a single step back towards the building. It seems that all this courage he has gained practicing walking outside was not as near enough as he thought he'd achieved.

'No. It's because Belle was with me all those times before.' He realized, for it was his first time completely alone outside of his cage. 'Of course… I am always stronger when I am with her, aren't I?'

And so Rumplestiltskin forces his wonky and unstable limbs into motion and manages to wobble himself back inside of Avonlea. The darkness greets him like an old friend once the door to the outside world is closed, locked, and armed to keep everyone at bay. Though the darkness helps his servos regain themselves with his mental state re-establishing itself, he can't help but feel the tiresome feeling of isolation wander back over everything.

He is no longer sure now, as he goes back to wandering the halls like he has always done for years and years on end, if he can truly go back to existing this way when that dreaded day finally comes. Yet, he knows he will have to go on and that he can do so...

Even if it means he'll be lonelier than he's ever been.

—————

He wasn’t expecting anything to happen further that night after Belle had left, and nothing at all happened in the hollowness of Avonlea until a little after five o’ clock.

Rumplestiltskin was minding himself, keeping some form of company in the dull lifeless world around him by tending to the unsightly cactus in the break room. Thirstily the plant and soil gobbled up the bit of water he offered it, and the imp was left to just sit and ponder the turn of events the night-morning had took.

‘I hope Belle is alright… Please, let her be safe.’ Rumplestiltskin knew his worrying wouldn’t change anything, but somehow he hoped that if any higher power was listening to his pleas (surely if there was a creator far above man it was mocking his existence or turning a blind eye to it all together) it would at least acknowledge this single cry from the multitudes he has screamed-since it was for  _her_.

“Prickle, I wish there was someway I could help Belle and her father.” The imp told the plant out of the blue, who silently regarded his statement in it’s usual manner. Rumplestiltskin shuffled on the chair he was seated, his leather britches and coat squeaking along with the ‘clacks’ of his metal limbs. 

“She’s done so much for me… Given me clothes.” Clawed fingers trace the purple frill peering out from his coat sleeves, admiring the fine work that went into the stitching. “Helped fix my voice.” The claws touch the metal of his throat. “Offered companionship to a monster as well as forgiven me when I had no right to be forgiven…”

The building creaks and groans around him, in it’s usual rhythm, leaving him ever more adrift in the vast emptiness.

“I don’t know what I could do… She’s been through so much in so little time, she deserves a break and someone to care for her. How could I possibly do any of that? I can’t provide anything for her…” His sharp metal teeth grind together as his anger simmers at his uselessness once more. “I can leave Avonlea now but how could that help her? I can’t just ‘waltz’,” The imp flourishes a hand while sarcasm fills the entire brim of his voice. “Right into a store and get her something or take her anywhere she desires. Pfft… I don’t even have any  _money_.”

Giving a hefty puff of air from a cylinder in his neck, that was his attempt at a sigh, the animatronic leaned back, frustrated beyond belief.

Belle was such an amazing person, an outstanding human being, it was horrible to see her going through so much. She was working so hard to help her father out while keeping her own life together. He recalled her speaking of the old man’s shop and how it was getting harder for the old man to keep it up by himself, especially with his more frequent trips to the hospital. It was evident Belle loved her father very much, even if she’s spoken of how frustrating the man is to deal with on and off-quite often actually. Her good natured heart always won out, and she did her best to help anyone, Mr. Getto, her father, that odd girl Ruby he’s heard about, and… Him.

“Surely, even I must be able to make her happy, somehow!” Rumplestiltskin grumbled loudly, his glowing eyes clicked closed as he dug a hand through his faux tangled hair.

**‘RINNNNNNNGGGG!’**

Yellow orbs flicked back open, clattering in their sockets in echoed surprise to the random noise. It was clearly a phone ringing he concluded, since the sound stopped and suddenly picked up again. Curious as to why a phone was ringing in Avonlea at a little past five in the morning, Rumplestiltskin shuffled to his feet, and stuck himself half out in the hallway. The ringing echoed down from the other end of the back hall, towards the security office.

‘No one calls at five in the morning, Avonlea isn’t even close to being open. It must be Belle!’ At that realization the imp bolted down the hallway and stumbled into the cozy space, looking for the phone that was shrilly singing away on the desk.

He’s never answered the phone before (it’s not like this was a common reoccurrence) and to be honest even this makes him somehow nervous. What if he picked up, blathered away and found out it wasn’t Belle? ‘Ack! As if! Who else would call, especially this office?’ He berated himself and without any further hesitation picked up the phone and put it next to his head (just like he’d seen the humans working here do time and time again).

“H-Hello?” Rumplestiltskin squeaked and he nearly smacked himself at how pathetic he sounded.

“Oh, Rumple, I’m glad you picked up! I realized I never gave you my number before I left so you must have been unsure who was calling.” Belle’s accented voice drifted over the wires, sending a pleasant calming feeling coursing through his own.

“Are you alright? Did you make it to the hospital safe?” Rumplestiltskin twirled the curled cord around his finger, his tick having found something to help keep his anxiety down while he fumbled for words. “Your father is he…”

“Yes, I got there fine. I just happened to get time enough to step outside and give you a call.” Belle’s voice hesitated a bit and Rumplestiltskin listened intently, and unconsciously set himself down in her chair. It took a few moments before her tired and hurt voice spoke up. “Dad-my dad he’s alive-overall okay, but he’s going to be staying in the hospital for a few days. They say he had a heart attack for real this time and they’re worried treatment isn’t enough right now so they’re going to have to perform surgery as soon as they can. I’m staying here just incase the doctor or the staff need me…”

“I’m so sorry Belle…” Rumplestiltskin gently spoke in the silence between their lines. “I’m glad you’re there with him, he’ll need you. You’re not going to come back to Avonlea tonight or later today right? You shouldn’t is what I mean to say.”

“No-I’ve already left Mr. Getto a voice mail about not coming in. I might be in tomorrow night but as of right now I’m not sure… I…” She sniffles a bit and Rumplestiltskin feels the urge to drop the phone, run out the back door and straight to the hospital to wherever she might be. If only he could-he would, he would do so and not stop for anything. “I’m sorry, I’m such a mess right now.”

“No! Don’t be sorry for that Belle. Please, don’t be ashamed to cry. I’m just worried about you.” Rumplestiltskin felt the sharp pang snap through his processors, clogging up his data for a moment. There she was apologizing for nothing she needed to, worried she’s bothering him when her father was ill. “You’ve been through so much lately. If you need more time off you should just ask Mr. Getto, take a week or however much you need.”

“Are you sure? I don’t know if I can. I would also hate you leave you in Avonlea by yourself that long.”

“I’ve been alone a lot longer than a week, trust me, I’ll be fine. Can’t promise the dastardly cactus here the same thing though.” The imp laughs a bit, and somehow he hears her soft giggle quiver over the phone line. It’s enough to satisfy all his longings, if just for right now.

Belle takes a second to take in a deep breath before she continues. “I’m sure Prickle will be fine in your care, as well as Avonlea.” Belle hums as if something interesting has caught her attention. “Hey Rumple? This is going to sound odd but is it alright if we keep talking? I’m not sure how long I have on the phone here but I just don’t really… I want to think about something else right now than ‘this’, if that’s alright.”

“Of course, you can skip all the formalities at that. We can talk as long as you need.” The sensation in him this time is nothing he can best describe without understanding as ‘painful’, far from it. Though parts and pieces of him clench up he can’t help but feel… This thing, in him, growing even more so for his beauty far away on the other end of the line.

“It’s just-your voice, it’s very comforting. Thank you.”

There was a little bit of that little girl still there, in the way she spoke those words. Once again he was here, a disembodied voice to speak comforting words to a living being swallowed up in pain in the middle of the night.

He would do his best, his absolute best to help her escape that all if just for a bit.

“Anything for you my Honorable Knight.”

They end up talking for nearly forty minutes. What they talk about, the machine recollects perfectly. They talk about about the weather for the week-how it will affect them going out and her driving to Boston, they talk about the book they are reading together-well they argue somewhat about it but all in good fun, she mentions her plans for Thanksgiving-another holiday he has no complete idea of, which ends up with her explaining all it’s festivities further. The imp laughs over it, claims he’s not able to truly enjoy such a time without a stomach and Belle snorts on a humorous whim while agreeing. Somehow through the call she grows calm and collected, far less panicked and less frustrated than when they began.

It’s almost six o’ clock when she has to say good bye and hang up. He wishes her well and much to their awkward hesitations on ending the call, they finally hang up on the count of ‘three’.

Silence, pure thick silence, decides to creep back into every corner of the office surrounding Rumplestiltskin when he sets the phone back in place.

A week without Belle… Could he really go through such a thing again? Even when he had been sulking off after the… Incident. No, it was the night when Avonlea had been broken into, the night Belle had been hurt, the night he had lost control again and spilt more human blood… Even after hiding from her and pushing her away like the coward he was he had never truly felt alone. He knew Belle had still been wandering the hallways, illuminating the darkness with her bright spark of life and refusing to let it be snuffed out.

But now, with her gone, this place would be completely hollow again.

‘I’ll be here just the same until she comes back.’ Rumplestiltskin thinks as he stands up from Belle’s swivel chair that creaks under the removal of his heavy weight. ‘Maybe this is enough time for me to think of something I could do for her? Surely…’

It’s as he’s wandering through Avonlea, humming his odd little tune to himself before he is to call it a day and hide away in his sanctuary that he gets an idea. Passing by the large stage with it’s curtains drawn sparks inspiration within the code and consciousness within his skull. Perhaps he’d been going about this idea all wrong? He was trying to come up with a ‘human’ way to approach the situation and not a ‘Rumplestiltskin’ way as he should have been. Maybe… He could spark that beautiful smile once again onto Belle’s face when she returned.

The imp smiled madly in the darkness, looking quite frightening when he was feeling nothing but delight and determination coil within his cords.

Yes, by the time Belle was back, he would hopefully have a way for her to enjoy herself, if only just for a night.

—————

Her week off is long, far longer than she liked.

Especially the first two days. Belle had managed to get away from both of her jobs to keep up with the hospital, the medical staff, and her father, who had been sent into surgery as soon as possible much like his doctor said. Luck had favored her with Mr. Getto as a boss, he was kindly generous when she had called to ask for a week off and for that Belle was ever grateful. It wasn’t just her boss that had made the week easier to get through as she awaited the news of her fathers well being in an all too bright waiting room down the hospital hall.

Ruby and Granny had stopped by to let her take a few hours off after her fathers surgery had been completed in the waining afternoon. Mr. French was doing ‘fine’ according to the medical report, but needed to stay in the hospital a few days for the doctors to properly look over the procedure and see that no added complications would arise.

The two days together blurred a bit, with Belle getting some meals and rest in between the stress and keeping up with her father and his shop.

By the fourth day of her week Belle had finally been able to go home, while her father continued to heal and groan from his hospital bed. With another addition of stress removed she return to her job in Boston. The bills still needed to be paid after all, and she really needed to get every ounce of her paycheck further along as she could, especially with her father being unable to keep the flower shop open for the time being. Mr. French was determined he would get back to his shop as soon as possible, however, even from the confines of his hospital bed, the IV’s stuck in his arm, and his weak disposition.

Belle was sure it was a godsend that she got her nights off from Avonlea. It finally felt like she was going to get the deep sleep she’d been missing, as sleep in the few morning hours while the sun attempted to stream through her curtained windows just didn’t feel the same.

Yet, as she crawled into her own bed, finally no longer sleeping in the spare bed in her fathers hospital room, sleep eluded her. Tossing, turning, even counting sheep till she reached ‘forty four’ did nothing to relive her of the worry and anxiousness that had begun to bubble up in her chest once the nights quiet had settled in. Even if things were not looking as grim as they had, the darkness was still attempting to cloud her mind.

The doctors hadn’t found out what it was that was causing all these issues with her father, though Dr. Whale commented they were going to do a test on his liver to see if that was a cause. Fear of another heart attack, one more deadly than the last, was something growing within her as of late-own fragile heart.

The worry over her father, her true last connection of family in this world, has started to become far too much for her to bear on her own much to her dismay.

When it became clear that Belle wasn’t going to gain a true ounce of sleep that night, as 4 AM glared from her alarm clock back to her sore and bleary eyes, she knew it was time to give up. Instead of attempting the futile, she sat up in bed and glanced about the space of her small bedroom to her phone on her bedside table.

No one else was usually awake at this time, but there was one person who was. ‘He’ was also the only person she wanted to talk to about this.

So she grabbed her phone and skimmed down her list of recently called till she found ‘AVONLEA-SECURITY OFFICE’ with it’s number. With a press of a button the line connected and she held her cellphone close to her ear.

The line rang, and rang, and rang. For a moment Belle thought that he might not pick up, might be too worried who would possibly be on the other end of the call to risk the chance again. At the last ring, before the number would redirect her to the voicemail inbox with her own voice crackling ‘Avonlea’s Security Office-Belle French, sorry I’m out of the office but please leave a message-’ the line was picked up.

“Belle…” The wavering voice of Rumplestiltskin rose to meet her ear and Belle smiled ever so lightly to herself at the sound of it.

“Hey, it’s me…”

“Hey…” His nervous voice managed to form at least one word and she had to bit back a flittering nervous smile of her own. 

‘Since when has he lost all ability to form words when I’m talking to him?’

“Are you alright? It’s pretty late, a little past four actually… Can’t sleep?” He inquires.

“I’m fine but yeah, I can’t sleep, not a wink. I’m thinking too much about things again-like usual or so what people say.” She scoffs at herself, trying to help keep herself together while she’s on top of the fluster that is her emotions. “I also wanted to let you know how my dad’s doing. He’s in the hospital still, recovering from his surgery but he’s okay. I think the Doctors have a better inkling of what’s causing the fits so I think we should get him on proper treatment soon. He’ll have to be on something called Oxygen therapy for a bit as well as getting a new physical exercise routine set up.”

“I see, not sure what Oxygen therapy entails but I’m glad he’s pulled through. Ol’ Mr. French sounds like a tough man.” The imp hums, a small bit of playfulness eases across the line and soothes her pattering heart. “Question is, are you pulling through though?”

There’s no use in hiding when she’s hurting from him, he instantly knows, he’s far more perceptive on that then anyone she’s ever met. “ _I will._  The extra time off is helping me get some things together and take care of some business we needed to attend to. I’ll be back on Monday on night duty for sure, so I won’t leave you alone for much longer. I really-” She pauses, for the words that long to fall out her mouth just can’t.

_‘I really miss you.’_

It’s what she wants to say but she doesn’t. It’s frightening how much she’s longing to be beside the animatronic right now, holding his hand and just listening to the lit of his voice. He comforts her more than anyone has in a long time, the last having been her mother all those years ago before everything had fallen apart. To think that her closest friend would be an abandoned old animatronic that lurked in the depths of Avonlea waiting to scare off intruders or silly curious guards. If she would have gone back several months ago and told her past self this, the past version of her would have laughed it off and thought her absolutely crazy.

“I will be looking forward to Monday, if only the weekend would pass by faster.” He teases. Belle wonders if perhaps he longs for her too, the way she does for him. Ever since the book incident she’s felt her connection to him grow, felt a spark of something powerful burn and root itself with her heart. “I’m nearly done with my book after all. Though I can assume you probably want the weekend to go on and on forever though.”

“Not really, I just want things to go back to normal, before all of this happened. It’s just… It feels like my life is slipping out of my hands. Right when I thought I was finally going to achieve my dreams, near close to having it right in my hands, it all came crashing down and I got sent back to start.” Belle brushes her face, feeling a guilt nip at her for even feeling this way. Her life was hardly what needed focus on right now. “I know it’s not my dads fault, he didn’t ask for this to happen to him. God-I-I’m sounding  _so selfish_  aren’t I?”

The phone line is silent just a moment and Belle wonders if he’s judging her from across the line. Here she was complaining about the set back in her dreams of touring the world she has every right to walk through and he was a being who hadn’t even left a building for twenty eight years until now. He’d seen horrible things and done things equally horrible, worse than what she’s ever gone through and here she was gripping and bemoaning where her life was right now.

She readies for the blow, for the scorn and verbal slap she needs but it never comes.

“What were you hoping to do, before… All this? I don’t think becoming a part time security guard was quite your intention.” When he speaks his voice is gentle and not judgmental at all. Instead he sounds genuinely curious and she can tell that his ‘all this’ means the move to Storybrooke, before her father got ill, before she wound up at the age of twenty five working at a family fun center in the dead of night.

No one really asks what she wants to do with herself, nor inquires about her dreams so it’s a bit of an unexpected turn. “I was trying to get a full time job, working at a library, anywhere with my degree in library science, or maybe doing that on the side and attempting to write my own book.”

“You’ve mentioned something about traveling, seeing the world.” He states clearly, his electronic voice crackling along the phone ever so slightly. “What about that?”

“That was my real dream.” A hefty sigh escapes her. It’s one that has been held in far too long-years even. “I wanted to work doing something I enjoyed and loved till I saved enough I could go out and… Have an adventure. I’ve never gotten to do much of that, my father and mother were working on building a family when I was young and after she died my father had moved here, but we couldn’t go out or go on any trips because of finances. It’s my dream to see the world, all the things, sights, places in books, magazines, and on TV for real-for myself.”

“Would that be your ideal, how can I put it?  _Happy ending?_ ” The imp comes back into his voice but it can’t conceal the emotion that is lacing his tone.

“Well, I don’t believe you just get your happy ending and everything is good and dandy after that.” She answers back as she curls up closer to herself amidst the mess of her comforter and pulled back sheets. “But I guess you could say that. My ideal dream would be to travel, see the world, have a nice little house full of books so I’d have my own library in the comfort of home, my father in good health as well as his shop loan free, and who knows maybe I’d…” Her cheeks heat up a bit at the thought, one she has really given much consideration as of late. “Find that special someone to spend the rest of my life with if he even exists, I’m starting to doubt that part.”

There is an awkward pause on the end of the line but Rumplestiltskin speaks before she can ask if he’s alright.

“I’m… Certain you’ll find him in time, dearest. You’re a kind, stubborn, and brave woman, surely there is someone made just for you, wondering where you are right now. Bah! How ridiculous, I’m starting to sound like one of your romance novels! You’ve tainted me!” Belle chokes on a laugh and Rumplestiltskin giggles along side her. Even now Belle can already feel  the weight on her shoulders lift ever so slightly. “That sounds like a wonderful happy ending though, far better than any of these fairytales plays here.”

Despite sounding perfect it’s incomplete, this happy ending built up in her mind and over the phone. She can see it, all that she’s spoken of, the house, traveling, books, her father, and yet there is a piece missing in the scene, one that is necessary to complete the image. Somehow it’s been missing most of her life and only now she’s realized that she needs it, wants it more than anything, even if the rest of the puzzle falls apart.

“But I forgot to tell you the best part of my happy ending Rumple.” Belle quickly adds, a lace of excitement filling her tone, hoping to capture his attention.

“Really? It sounds like you have it all covered-what could you possibly be missing?” The imp asks and she knows she’s got him right where she wants him. “Let me guess? Wealth? Power? A yard full of cactus?”

Once again she’s chucking but this time at the imagery of this nearly perfect house with a yard full of assorted cacti growing from the ground and in pots as well as containers. “No! I don’t have any plans like that. As for what it is… I could just tell you it, but maybe I’d like to have some secrets of my own.”

“Now-now! We can reach some sort of agreement.  _Come on_ , what is it?”

“Not telling.” Belle teases again and hears a muffled, electronic crackle of Rumplestiltskin doing a slight shriek of annoyance.

“You can’t just tell someone there is something missing-that it’s the best part of your entire happy ending and then refuse to tell them! Why I thought such acts were beneath a Honorable Knight such as yourself.” The imp grumbles deep into the phone.

“You thought wrong then, but I guess I’ll make a deal with you, since you love to make them.” Belle nearly sings, and sure enough the line goes quiet at this statement. “I’ll tell you what it is I need to have a happy ending if you’ll tell me what your ideal happy ending is.” She waits for a response, thinking she has him cornered in her spun web. Yet he doesn’t respond, the line just hums white noise in her ear for a good few seconds. “Rumple?”

“Eh… I can’t have a ‘happy ending’, so I’ve never bothered to think about one.”

“Surely there must be something you want or want to happen-more than anything in the world.” Belle clings to her phone and began to wish she was having this conversation with him in person. He wouldn’t be able to escape her confrontation like he could just now.

It was frustrating, how he closed himself off at things like this. They had been doing so well and now he was keeping her at bay again, denying her a look at him, who he was, what he wanted. It was clear he had desires like any other human with the way he collected random objects and things most people would consider junk. After all he loved her poor torn and now unreadable book of the Velveteen Rabbit dearly, she reminds herself, it was a desire all of his own.

Part of her knew he just wasn’t used to anyone caring, he was a machine after all-he was expected to want nothing and only give his everything and be scrapped when that he ran out of uses.

“What I want I can never have.” His lit is softer, less of the gruff imp that throws sarcastic barbs behind his mask. “So there is no point to dwell on such things… Actually, there is one thing I want… That I might be able to have, possibly now that I think about.”

“Really? What is it?” Belle whispers. Desperately she wants to know anything at all of what he craves, what he dreams about underneath metal eye lids when he shouldn’t even be able to dream at all.

“I want… More than anything right now…”

She waits, feeling her breath still and her lungs stop intaking air.

_“Is for nosy little insomniac security guards to get some proper rest and quit pestering me!”_

“How rude, I don’t pester you!” Belle balks but she hardly feels any real bite coming from the other end of the line. Still she’s disappointed he’s ran away from expressing himself once more, but she remembered that it would take time for him. ‘If he never does I suppose that’s alright… I just want to know him, more than I already do.’

“But you’re right, it’s late at night and I’m starting to feel like I can actually get some sleep possibly.” Belle mentions while brushing back some hair from her face. Sleep is starting to tug at her now that she thinks about it, her eyes have begun to lid and she’s relaxed enough against her headboard.

“Good, try to enjoy yourself as much as you can, dearest. If you can’t get to sleep… Uh, I’m here…. You know.”

“I’ll call you tomorrow night, how does that sound?” Belle asks and she can hear the nervous quirky sound flicker across the phone from the animatronic.

“Fair enough… Till tomorrow. Good night Belle.”

“Good night Rumple, and thank you again…”

The phone in her hand clicks when she ends the call and the silence settles back across her apartment. Pipes creak and groan as the floor shifts a bit as buildings do and Belle just leans back into bed to listen. It’s a lot like the sound at Avonlea in the dead of night, and somehow it’s comforting to think that this must be exactly what Rumplestiltskin is hearing as well. It’s enough to help her tired brain pretended they’re both together, in the same space and place.

So she falls asleep, with a smile on her face as she imagines she hears the faint familiar ‘clacking’ of boot clad feet walking down her apartment hall.

—————

A cool chill has overtaken the air this Sunday night, and Belle hurries on quickly upon her boot clad feet to escape it’s nasty bite.

The back door opens with a creak, letting in a sliver of light through the crack. Belle pushes through with extra required strength, feeling as if the door is for some reason heavier than it usually is. It’s pitch black after she closes the door but she knows these halls like the back of her hand and so she easily, after rearming the alarm, heads back to her office. Finally after a week of hectic stress, her fathers life teetering on a line, and some extra down time the young woman was back on track at both her jobs. She was ever still ever so grateful that Mr. Getto had given her the extra time off, and though sleep had not been her greatest ally the down time was still much appreciated.

It was no surprise as well, that Avonlea was just as it usually was a week later without her dropping by even once. Except one thing that was desperately out of place now that she noticed.

‘Odd…’ Belle thinks, considering the thick silence hanging in the air, with no ‘clacking’ to disrupt the endless flow. ‘I don’t hear Rumple nearby or anywhere close. Perhaps he’s just hanging out in the office then, he knows I’m working tonight, after all we talked about.’ She shrugs her shoulders somewhat and continues on, hoping she’ll find him soon. 

There is so much she needs to say to him. He has no idea how much his nightly calls have helped her through out the week-somehow he’s helped her keep it together and that’s never happened to her before. She’s strong enough on her own, she knows this, even if he hadn’t called her she would have made it through.

He helped though, that hight pitched voice that could also sound so low, accented, and human eased the pain away with each syllable. Belle wasn’t sure what it meant then, this budding affection she had for her mechanical friend, but she knew there was something growing there, amidst the metal, plates and wires between them.

These troubling thoughts fall away to confusion when she enters her office, flips on the light, and finds it completely empty of any conscious beings, save herself. The young woman reaches a hand and tucks some hair back behind her ear all while trying to think what possibly could be going on. It’s not till she’s setting her stuff down at the space by her desk that she notices an anomaly in her usually well kept office space.

A piece of paper sits on top of her desk.

Belle quirks her head and reaches for the torn out page of notebook paper. The handwriting is some she’s never seen before, it’s not Mr. Getto’s nearly unreadable cursive or the cute hand writing from the girl named Ashely who worked here during the week days (and she believed at Granny’s Bed and Inn on the weekends).

She reads it over rather quickly.

_‘Honorable Knight, I know you have not been having a very good week, which saddens your nemesis greatly.’_ Belle laughs and understands quickly that no one other than her animatronic cohort could have wrote this message. It’s funny, she thinks, how he surely has no need to write or has probably never written much and yet he has lovely handwriting.  _‘A hero such as yourself, who has been working hard and doing so much good, deserves a night off every once in a while. While I can’t help you get a real night off, I thought I might at least try to make it fun for you instead. Meet me at the stage out front, the place where our story began… I’ll explain it all there.’_

_‘Yours truly, Rumplestiltskin’_

“What are you up to you silly man?” Belle laughs slightly to herself before folding up the piece of paper and sticking it in her pocket. She should have known the witty machine would be up to something after his mysterious questions during their later calls.

After removing her coat and slipping her jacket on to help fend off the slight cool nip to the air, Belle took her flashlight and began to head towards the front of Avonlea. The double doors open effortlessly for her when she pushes through them and she saunters down the open space between the laser tag room and the fantasy play land. It’s completely dark out here just as it was every night and as of yet she’s not seen scrap of brown wiry hair nor scuffed boot clad legs of her sorcerer in the beam of her flashlight. 

A few more steps put her right near the stage which is just as dark as everything else.

“Rumple? Where are you? You better not be planning on scaring me.” Belle speaks loudly, pursing her lips at the last part as she awaits a response. The flashlights beam darts ahead of her and suddenly lands on a small table set up right near the stage, but still a good distance from the steps. It doesn’t belong there-it’s an anomaly as well. “What on earth?”

“There you are!”

Rumplestiltskin’s voice crackles overhead, startling her slightly enough that she flinches and turns on heel. She doesn’t see him but she most definitely heard the tricky and mischievous imp.

Suddenly lights flicker on above the empty stage, vibrant and brilliant in their green and blue hues. Belle puts a hand on her hip and watches as the great big red curtains begin to shift upon slightly creaking lines that are tugging them apart. It’s a grand display, the way the curtains unveil the figure standing behind them who is bent over in a mock bow in front of the semi permanent animatronics who are slumped over as well.

“Good evening dearest Knight! It’s been far too long since we’ve last met… Face to metal plate.” Rumplestiltskin chirps sillily in that high pitched voice of his as he rises to stand. As he does so the animatronics behind him all spring to life, straightening up and clacking into place amongst their moving stands and tracks. Her imp is looking as dashing as always and she’s glad to see him just the same after being gone a week. Tonight he actually wears the purple shirt she gifted him a while back under his ribbed vest and of course that high collar scaly coat that looks like its made almost from a real scaly creature.

“Good evening to you Rumplestiltskin. It has been far too long for my liking, I’m glad to be back.” Belle curtseys, attempts to anyways with the ends of an invisible dress. In actuality she’s wearing her usual work attire; dark blue jacket, white button down dress shirt, grey slacks, boots and the ridiculous red bow. It’s hardly the apparel of a knight or of a lady in gown but she pretends regardless and that seems to please the animatronic man. The smile on his face tugs up further on one side of his artificial features, causing her own grin to widen.

“I’ve got many questions for you but first might I ask what mischief you’re getting into tonight?” Belle quirks a brow and then crosses her arms awaiting an explanation for all the ‘theatrics’ going about.

The light above helps illuminate the table sitting perfect distance from the stage, which is a card table dressed in a red cloth nearly as bright as the stage curtains. A liter of her favorite soda sits there as well as the kettle from the break room, which sits on a hot pad. Steam is rising from the top of it’s spout telling her it’s contents were just recently made.

One more item sits there at the table, and it surprises her a bit as well as endears her. It’s the mug she’s chipped, sitting and awaiting to be used as if it didn’t know it was semi dangerous now (to only the un-expecting really). It wasn’t broken, so why not use it, she knows all about its sharp edges and how to handle it.

Rumplestiltskin titters and brandishes a hand out in his usual flourished manner which regains Belle’s attention. “Please take a seat and I will explain the unusual plans I have for you tonight.” A sudden flicker of nervousness crosses his wild amber eyes and Belle notes the tick of his, his fingers kneading nothing at all, come back into play with the hand near his chest. “So long as you desire to, if not…”

Belle turns and sees the single chair awaiting for her to sit upon. It’s clear that her friend has gone to some trouble to set up this-whatever this was for her and it warms her aching heart. Part of her wants to just tell him that he doesn’t need to do this, that she is fine, but most of her selfishly wants to enjoy this. Deep down she also knows this is the first time Rumplestiltskin has ever really been able to ‘do’ something for her in his own eyes. Perhaps later she will tell him that he’s already done so much for her, more than he can comprehend.

Without wasting any more time she takes the chair and sits snug at the table big enough for two properly. With that she inclines her head at him, resting her elbows on the table top and smiling at him with a grin that was not forced at all.

“Ahem.” Rumplestiltskin emits that fake cough sound of his, which is more like metal scraping against metal. “I would like to proudly present, a one of a kind-once in a lifetime performance of an old Avonlea animatronic play, hosted by yours truly,  _R-R-R-Rumplestiltskin!_  The terrible sorcerer of Avonlea.” The imp grins an fiendish smile as the speakers settled overhead all crackle with a fake audio of people clapping. Belle giggles softly to herself and manages to clap along before the sound dies down. “This performance,” Rumplestiltskin straightened himself out, and looked down at Belle from the stage top, more content and softly than before. “Is dedicated to the greatest hero to ever fight and protect Avonlea and all the creatures that have come to and fro within its walls… As well as for the beast that haunts its halls.”

“I have set your favorite beverages out-well, at least what I could easily make.” He says with a bit of a twist to his wrist, his lidded eyes make him look ever so sheepish.

“You made me tea?” Belle asked from the distance between them. Carefully she picked up the kettle and the mug, pouring herself a good amount before she set the kettle back. A lovely scent wafted from the dark brown mixture, it was spice and citrus in a delightful aroma. No doubt it was her favorite brand of tea that she kept here within her desk.

“It’s already got some honey in it-I-I made it how you liked it. But-I can’t drink so it’s not like I have any clue if it’s good or what not, dearest…” Rumplestiltskin stammers while shrugging his segmented shoulders.

“No! I’m sure you made it just right, thanks.” Belle lids her eyes at Rumple, keeping her cold fingers around the mug to warm them as much as the rest of her body was starting to warm from looking at her friend. It appeared that Rumplestiltskin did recall everything, he knew exactly how she took her tea and seemed to recall exactly how she went about making it. “You may continue Great Sorcerer. You were talking about this once in a lifetime performance?”

“Ah, yes.” He fumbles and then rights himself back into proper stance, becoming this wicked and mischievous being once more. “I can’t quite get all the equipment to work with me, so the experience will hardly be proper or authentic, but I hope you’ll enjoy the show. So sit back and relax your weary feet.” A giggle emerges from over the sound speakers and the animatronics behind the green gold one all move in a similar pattern, holding their hands out as if in readying themselves for the show.

The two TVs above the stage, usually used for helping the kids sing along during the normal day time performances, flickered to life. A black and green screen appeared first, with rather standard old computer code that she couldn’t read fast enough, save for an odd ‘{ZOSO|PROTOCOL}’ blurb at the top, because it disappeared as suddenly as it had appeared. Then the screen flickered to a simple white panel with nothing on it.

“How exactly are you doing this by the way-all  _this_.” Belle gestures to the lights, the TV’s, and the animatronics that were moving behind him as if all on the same accord. It been bothering her from the moment she stepped into the room and he’d revealed himself. She knew Rumplestiltskin could control the lights-or at least trigger them when he’d been plugged into an electrical outlet but this went far beyond it. ‘How could a machine like him hold this capability-and what else could he do that he’d not mentioned before?’

“Inquisitive creature as always.” Rumplestiltskin spoke in a nasally tone but turned about on the heels of his boots so half of his back was facing her. It was then that Belle actually took notice of the wires trailing behind the animatronic man, lying on the floor and disappearing into the dark where she knew the maintenance panel and system of operations for the stage was set. All of these cords, as her eyes trailed them to Rumplestiltskin, hung over his back and disappeared behind the great collar of his leather coat.

“Oh Rumple, do you really have all of that plugged into you?” Belle asked, feeling her immediate worry overtake her tone. She was about to nearly stand up and run over to him to inspect the situation but that was quickly quelled when the machine stuck out both of his hands, keeping her seated in her chair with the act.

“Don’t worry! I’m fine, this is how I used to be after all-when I was on stage years ago.” He states with a quirky toothy smile, letting his hands wander back to his sides. “Well, not exactly. The wires used to be to keep me in line with the other animatronics but right now I’m using myself to operate all of the equipment tonight, so I’m the one in control.”

“You can handle all of that? I mean, that’s got to be a lot to keep organized within yourself… Right?” Belle quirks a brow, growing impressed with this new information she’s gathered though still overall apprehensive about the idea. “But how is it you can even control these things? You’re older technology aren’t you-and I can’t see how your system can merge with other ones flawlessly.”

He bounces on his heels closer to the end of the stage, the cords trailing behind him slither after like grey snakes. “It’s not a flawless process but it’s easier than what you think. It’s not so much my system controlling them as much as it is me sending out electrical pulses that make them act as I wish them to. It’s… I don’t know how to explain it all but here…”

With a flick of his wrist, and a snap of his fingers the TV’s above shift their screens from an image of pure white to an image of… Herself.

It was an image of Belle sitting at her little table with her hands cupped around the chipped mug looking very much suprised at something above.

“What you’re seeing right now is from my own eyes, dearest!” Rumplestiltskin smirk stretches across his gold scaled face as the security guard awes in surprise at the strength of this… Whatever this was that the machine could do. “I can easily overpower anything, TV’s, computers, even the entire electrical system for the whole building-but it’s best not to do such things-you never know what might be  _tugging_  back.” The TV’s flicker back to the white screen and Belle turns her gaze from that back to the mechanical man, a soft frown creasing the lines of her face. It seemed Rumplestiltskin caught this as he glanced away and put his flighty arms behind his back. “Anyways, let me not waste your time any further and start the show.”

Belle settles back more comfortably in her chair and watches as the lights above shift color, turning from blue and greens to red hues. The imp flaunters out towards the end of the stage, keeping some space between him and the three animatronics that are standing side by side. Inquisitive blue eyes watch as a strange  _change_  washes over Rumplestiltskin who lifts his arms out and begins to, tug at some nonexistent object. It looks as if he’s pulling at some object, like a wheel of sorts though there is nothing there.

“What are you doing?” Belle has to ask because the sight is just too strange.

“You’ll have to forgive me-my old programming kicked in.” He confesses but continues to tug and pull with his other hand at a line that she can’t see. “I used to have my own stage back in my performer days. It was separate from the others and though it was small there was enough room for me and my spinning wheel.”

‘Oh, that made sense.’ Belle thought inwardly. ‘He would have a spinning wheel, he was the gold spinning imp ‘Rumplestiltskin’ after all.’

“What happened to it?” Belle asked across the space dividing her table and his stage.

“Just the same as me. It wasn’t needed or wanted so it got thrown out.” He replies without hardly showing a care or concern about the matter. Yet the lines on his false skin flex and pull tight with the thin line his mouth has become. “I was sorry to see it go. Though I’ve never made anything with a wheel, it was just for show after all, I enjoyed watching it spin… I liked to get lost watching the wheel, tried to forget what I was or who I was as the wood spun-but that only worked so long as it turned.”

It saddens her a bit, seeing him deflate and his hands no longer grab at the wheel he sees within his own mind. The illusion breaks.

“Once upon a time!” His voice loudly rings through the intercoms as well as some old music causing Belle to jump slightly in response. “In a distant land, a kingdom reigned and that kingdom was called Avonlea.” With flourishes the imp raises his hand and begins to weave his tale before her, captivating her interest with his movements, voice and glowing amber eyes that bore into hers when they met.

The lights and music changes with the mood and flow of the story that the performer in front of her divulges into. The animatronics behind him spring to life amidst the words he spun just like the wheel that didn’t exist underneath his clawed segmented fingers.

As all good fairytales begin, it starts out with the prince and the princess, two lovers who have finally achieved a peace that has settled over the kingdom and wish to celebrate. Rumplestiltskin’s-No, the Dark One’s voice, as he refers himself, plays and teases in a nasally manner about the two boring heroes and Belle has to fight rolling her eyes at his distaste. He explains that in celebration of the two hero’s peace and their victory against the Evil Queen (who has clearly not been defeated even though he has not mentioned that yet) the lovers plan on announcing their up coming marriage.

And of course no moment talking about marriage was complete without a song. Belle watched as Rumplestiltskin faked gagged as he two lesser machines began to spin their song over their true love and their upcoming nuptials. It was much more entertaining with her friend making silly faces at the robotic drone like couple who were of course, completely unaware as they moved and spun on their tracks. Eventually the song comes to an end and the lights flicker back to a blue with some purple dappled about.

Turns out the Evil Queen, who surprise-surprise was very much alive, had heard the news and wasn’t happy with it at all.

The Evil Queen jerks to life, and Belle is impressed yet again at how Rumplestiltskin still has all this information from his old shows jammed into his own head. 

She’s not pleased at all with the news and though the Evil Queen claims she must stop them and rule the kingdom once and for all, her un-royalty realizes she can’t stop it, not by herself. So finally, she goes to the great evil sorcerer Rumplestiltskin and begs him for his aide so that she can rule on her rightful throne.

However, the imp is not a generous or giving creature, especially not towards the Evil Queen. The imp laughs and dances around on stage, moving about the dark clad animatronic figure who is stuck on her track and far more lifeless than he.

“Surely there must be something you want?” The Evil Queen claimed, her prerecorded (overdramatic) voice ebbed from the speakers above as the TV screen read their lines in time with the music. “Gold perhaps?” Metal clothed limbs moved wonkily and less fluid towards the imp, emulating desperation which the gold scaled beast gobbled up.

“Ah, I uh, make gold.” The imp sneered a bit, looking unamused at her proposition.

“More power?”

“I’m the most powerful being in all the lands. What need would I have of more power?” Rumplestiltskin waved it off, and Belle giggled as the Queen growled in frustration.

She gave on final try and her offer quelled the music instantly. “What about… Love?”

Belle felt her heart clench a bit and her fingers tighten on the mug in her grasp. She was actually quite suprised at this turn of events. Glancing from the lifeless Evil Queen, who was smirking comically, the knight looked to Rumplestiltskin and saw… A sadness in the lines of his face, pushing the jagged shadows further across his profile. Somehow, she felt as if what she was seeing was far more than just the show going on and far more than the programming flittering through his wires.

“Love? What could I possibly do with ‘love’?” The Dark One grimaced, crossing his arms and looking throughly disgusted. “I definitely want nothing to do with it, especially if it’s from you dearie!”

“As if I could ever love something disgusting like you!” The queen grumbled and Belle snorted with one hand trying to cover her nose, amused with the Queens irritation. “Everyone wishes they had someone to love, or something to love. My love is my right to the throne,” At that Belle  _had_  to roll her eyes. “The prince and princess love is each other, the fairy’s love is doing disgusting good deeds, and yours… Even you must want one.”

Rumplestiltskin scoffed and swayed upon his boots. “Want one? But you are mistaken, I already have something I love.”

“You do? Tell me! What is it you love most in this world?” The Evil Queen seems quite shocked that the Dark One truly did have something to love.

“So curious about my personal business and you think me daft enough to spill too!  _Interesting_. I’ll make you a deal Evil Queen, If you… Can figure out what I ‘twuly love’ within three tries, than I shall give you you’re happy ending.” Rumplestiltskin hummed in thought, turning back to the invisible wheel and tugging at it’s nonexistent straw and wood. “But! If you fail within three tries I will ensure that you will never get your happy ending! Nyahahaha!” 

The Evil Queen growled in response but then began to laugh as the light faded from Rumplestiltskin and he slunk back to his corner of the stage. With the change of atmosphere the music began to swirl into an even more evil melody than what Belle and heard.

“Just wait and see Dark One… My victory will at last be at hand! And I will be ruler of this entire land! When I find out what Rumplestiltskin’s love could possibly be! You’ll all regret the day you ever crossed me!”

The Evil Queen began to sing, a jingle about her plans for revenge and how she scoured the kingdom in search of the answers to the mysterious question of Rumplestiltskin. Belle hated to admit that the song was rather catchy and even glanced to see Rumplestiltskin bobbing his head slightly in rhythm.

“What it’s not that bad!” The animatronic shrugged and they both smiled at how silly this all really was.

After that musical number, The Evil Queen was off, according to her storyteller, attempting to figure out the secret to what Rumplestiltskin loved most. It wasn’t long after that the prince and princess caught wind of that from the fairy (who ended up speaking with her shrill voice from the animatronic dragon which sent Belle into a near choking fit of laughter while drinking her tea) that the Evil Queen was very much alive. With news of her deal with the dark beast spreading across the kingdom the two heroes quickly went off to find Rumplestiltskin and stop him before their foe could solve it and take away the happy ending for everyone in the entire land.

The imp was less impressed with their pleas than the greedy queen’s when they found him but offered the same deal. If they could guess what it was that he loved most he would also grant them their happy ending, ending the evil tyranny of the Queen’s wrath from hovering over the lands- _forever_. However, if they were to fail he would steal their happy ending and ensure it never to happen for the rest of their days.

Despite this fearsome price the Prince tried to answer the ever mysterious question.

“What you love most is power!” The prince’s plain and uninspiring, at least in Belle’s opinion, voice rang overhead.

“Guess again!” The Dark One trilled and bounced upon his boot clad feet in mock merriment.

“Surely then what you love most is-Gold!”

“That’s not it! Hehehee! Careful now, dearie, you’re cutting it close! If you guess wrong again I’ll take the thing you love most!”

“What you love most… Must be… Making deals!”

The prince had answered bravely and boldly but his answers were still all wrong much to the heroes gasps of horror. The Dark One ended up capturing the prince and separating him from his true love, imprisoning him in a tower guarded by a horrible monster made from shadows thanks to the stage lights above. The princess despaired at this ‘permanent loss’ of her happy ending and Rumplestiltskin delighted in her suffering, dancing about in his horrible manner of cruelty and apathy.

However, the play was just about to get a twist the imp hadn’t seen forthcoming.

Boots ‘pattered’ against the wooden steps while the vile sorcerer was monologuing about his victory and suddenly the great fearsome Dark One was face to face with an unconventional and most unexpected Knight.

“Belle?” Rumplestiltskin’s split brows rose up against his face, as far as they could on the tracks slit from his eyes, when he saw her standing amongst the performance. “What are you doing?” He put a hand on his hips and tried to look intimidating, though she could tell he was wanting to bust a smile-she herself was fighting the stupid grin and her lips wobbled to keep it in. “There are no knights in this tale and I know that for a fact. I never forget.”

“Better get to rewriting it because there is now.” Belle smirks and pushes back some of her hair over her shoulder, ebbing her own persona of brave hero. “As a good knight of the people I can’t sit back and hear the Princess despair over her Prince, nor can I allow the people be threatened anymore from the Evil Queen. As for you, I’m not to afraid to challenge you, my old foe.”

She hadn’t really been planning on joining in on this, she had been content at her table with her tea and comfortable seat. Yet she couldn’t pass up the opportunity that had present itself right in front of her. Rumplestiltskin had wanted her to relax and enjoy herself but more than anything she wanted to have fun-and… She wanted to have fun with him.

“Ah, ever so brave and bold Knight of Beauty. Coming to face the beast head on yet again,” Rumplestiltskin slunk back into the Dark One’s boots, turning back into that intimidating stance and glare that didn’t even make her blink. “But do not think that you will get away with besting me so easily this time, there is more at stake than what you realize.”

He steps toward her, on those cat like steps and though her heart starts to beat faster in her chest it’s hardly from fear. The pitter patter grows more wildly because of his proximity than because of his fearsome profile nor his malicious movements. A heat crawls up Belle’s cheeks slightly but she holds firm in stance even when he brings his face a few scant inches from her own.

“Rumplestiltskin, I am not here to play your games.” Belle boldly states, before tucking her lip between her teeth awaiting his response.

His eyes click in their sockets to her lips and remain there pinned upon the rosy flesh. This causes the pitter patter of the organ in her chest to fluctuate even worse, the strongest it’s ever have with him. ‘Is he… Could he…’ She’s not sure what he is thinking staring at her mouth like that and desperately she wishes she could see into his mind and peel the answer away. Her own thoughts are startling enough though she knows she’s been denying them for a while now.

The moment quickly falls away before anything foolish on her part can happen.

“You’re going to have to play my games if you wish for the rulers of this kingdom to reunite or to preserve the happiness that has settled across the kingdom. Perhaps you might try and take a guess at what it is that I ‘love’ most too?” The imp resumes circling her, his hands nearly creeping along her shoulder but once again his metal digits refuse to met her skin.

“So if I guess right, about what you love most in this world, you’ll release the prince?”

“If that is part of your happy ending, then yes. I shall.” He more calmly replies, letting the wild trickster aura simmer back down to a more collected presence. “However if you fail, I shall take away your happy ending- and that’s  _forever_  dearie… Could you sacrifice that? If you walk away you’ll remain free to dream and perhaps, who knows, the princess might save her prince and best the Evil Queen. Doubtful, but still a possibility. You might be throwing away your life for nothing wether you succeed or not.”

“I suppose that’s my decision to make. No one decides my fate but me and not even you can determine it.” Sharp blue eyes bore back into the intensity of the false amber eyes staring her on. The play is suddenly feeling all too real which makes her feel even more ridiculous but Rumplestiltskin seems to be going through the same thing.

_“I see now how strongly you do feel. All I can ask now is… Do we have a deal?”_  He trills in a sing song voice, cocking his head as his flamboyant hands flitter about.

“Deal.”

_“Heehehehee!”_ The animatronic began to cackle. Suddenly the music that had been shifting ever so quietly and ominously began to jump and twist into a melody that was as if it was attempting to mimic what orchestrated chaos might be.Belle felt her nervousness whittle away when the high pitched voice of her companion began to lift and drift into the pace of the tune above. “ _Now guess and try all you like! But now your fate with mine is sealed! You should have known there’d be no winning once you struck the deal!”_

His voice, so odd and strange, is so even more beautiful as he is singing. Belle herself is not a bad singer, at least not in her opinion, but she was never ‘great’ at it and thus she didn’t often indulge. It almost came far too natural to him and it suprised her that he was even doing this-betraying his previous claims of ‘disgust’ for the act just this once.

Soon the security guard playing as knight is forced to take teetering steps back when Rumplestiltskin sways and dances about her, pulling her along into the flowing chaos and power the music was compelling him. It’s not like she fights it when he reaches his arms out and glides them across her own. The young woman lets those large cold hands of his gently press against her waist as well as pull her into his form through the dappled lights streaming down onto the stage.

It’s… Basically magical. The music, the sound of his voice, the mold of his body against hers-it’s beyond any silly passionate dream of her youth.

_“All maaaaagic comes with a price! And yet you fools never think twice, before selling your souls, come groveling in rows and yet unwilling to pay the toll! Oh All maaaaagic comes with a price! And you fools never think twice! Perhaps I could give you some helpful advice-If you’re so enticed!”_ He leans in closer to Belle while they float about the wooden floor amidst their own audience of two. She’s entirely ‘enticed’ indeed, he’s spun a magic web she can’t escape from nor desires to. _“Uh… Right! I’M NOT THAT NICE!”_ The harsh quick jump of tone makes her jump slightly and tug at a strand of his out of control hair in a voiceless ‘not appreciated’-he just smirks and continues in response.  _“Oh, all maaaagic comes with a price!”_

_“All maaaaagic comes with a price!”_ Belle sings along suddenly with the Dark One. He’s taken back now slightly too but quickly falls back into place with their fine line they are dancing about.  _“And yet you’ve been bested more than twice! By a knight and her ever useful device!”_

_“Tsk-tsk-tsk. Now tell me bold knight what my love might be? And lets see if you have what it takes to truly best me!”_

He spins her about with one hand and then draws her back in, their hands are clamped together-a delicate painting of pinkish white and speckled gold.

_“Perhaps what you love most is spinning your magic!”_

_“Oh my! That answer is so, so, terribly tragic! For you! It’s incorrect my little pet!”_

_“Perhaps what you love most is spreading evil’s cold touch?”_

_“Wrong again! Though I happen to like that very, very much.”_ Rumplestiltskin stopped spinning them around and Belle finally felt as if her feet were once again on solid ground. _“You have one more chance to answer it right, so go ahead and try if you might… But be weary, dearie, for if you do fail, my happy ending will be the only one told in this tale.”_

One last chance, one last shot. It was hard to concentrate on figuring out the answer to this uncertain and mysterious question. Belle tried to put together a web of ideas but felt her head still spinning even long after they stop circling about the floor, much like Rumplestiltskin’s imaginary spinning wheel.

Spinning… Spinning… The bad thoughts away, day after day.

Belle felt her thin line for a mouth curl upwards slightly which casted doubt upon the imp’s previously confident smirk. Gently, the young woman lifted her hands from the animatronics arms and let one rest against his warm chest while the other brushed a thumb against the curve of his chin beneath his lip. Rumplestiltskin instantly quit his fine theatrical motions, becoming stone still against even the firm pressure of her touches.

“I know the answer to your question… The thing you love most in this entire land… Is your spinning wheel.”

He stared at her, long and firm, leaving her to stand through so much time that doubt to started to creep in.

Then, those eyelids of his closed together and an inhuman sigh puffed from his plated throat.

“The imp was suprised…” Rumplestiltskin began to speak, and Belle let her thumb trace the bumpy scales of his chin slowly as he did. “He thought no one could ever possibly guess the answer correctly, and so his arrogance let him be overthrown by the ever so intelligent Beauty of Avonlea. For she did guess correctly, the thing the Dark One loved most in the entire land was his spinning wheel, his sole companion for many years isolated in the Dark Mountains. The only thing that did not run or tremble in fear and let him spill his dark thoughts and render him a simple man once again.”

He escaped her grasp then, when she was too far caught up into the tale he was once again weaving.

The lights above flickered and changed to a sad blue that tinted everything in it’s melancholy.

“Tell me dear Knight,” The imp spoke with his back turned to her, showing  his weakness and wires that strung from his back and wriggled behind with his step. “What is it that is your happy ending? I will do everything within my grasp to grant it… Just ask, name anything and it shall be yours.”

Belle put part of her hand to her mouth, feeling as if this was the time, this was the time she confronted Rumplestiltskin-not the facade, not the act before her on this stage, but ‘him’. Carefully she conducted herself, trying to ease her frantic heart back into it’s regular beat. It was time for her to be brave once again, like she always wanted to be.

“The knight asks that you would release the prince, so him and his true love can deal with their kingdom.”

“Done. Simple enough.” A loud clatter behind the young woman made her turn and stare at the pair of Animatronics. Thanks to Rumplestiltskin’s ‘will’ the two heroes turned to one another and held out their arms as if attempting a clunky embrace.

Belle spoke again, satisfied with the first request. “I also ask you make it so that the Evil Queen no longer can harm these lands nor the people living here.”

The imp giggles slightly but it has no ‘oomph’ to it. “Of course, the Queen will have no more power here. The lands will be plentiful and the people kept safe for as long as I live-which is to be expected for quite some time. That surely must cover it-unless you were hoping to vanquish the beast as well. You’d be the most feared hero in all the lands if you asked for that, dearie! ”

Belle stalks closer to Rumplestiltskin, stepping around the cords and cables that tug at her heart every time she sees them. Her foot falls are not near silent like his but even with his back turned and his hands together together there, he makes no move to face her.

“No, I have no desire to kill the beast, none at all, but I have one last thing to ask of you Rumple,” His nickname catches him off guard with the way he stands up a bit taller from his oddly sad slouch. A tension fills the air after that. It practically sparks and crackles around them with the power of all the things unsaid between the distance of their bodies. 

Another step leaves her standing a foot behind him, within touching distance though she doesn’t move to do so. “What I’m going to ask of you is very important… I spoke to you about my happy ending a few nights ago, over the phone, do you remember that?”

“I-Yes.” He stammers, sounding less snarky and confident like his play counter part, just more like himself. “I recall you mentioning something like that. Nyhehee…” He’s trembling now, it’s easy to hear with how his shoulders ‘clack’ against his torso in the exposed cuts of his coat.

She takes a deep breath and wills her bravery to set her straight and true.

“Only you can help me fill in that missing piece to my dream. Rumple, my happy ending… Isn’t complete without you.”

Instantly he turns on his feet, facing her with wide blow eyes and shock cemented into the creases of his face. Heat floods through out her face and chest, leaving her looking as bright red as the lights suddenly shinning down from above the stage. Despite this Belle doesn’t falter, she doesn’t run.

He’s absolutely nervous too. For his trembling fingers at his sides can’t even kneed at that invisible line of thread that holds himself together.

“What?” He gapes from his hinged jaw, which always reminds her of what he is whenever she has somehow forgotten. “W-What are you saying?”

“Just what I said. I… I know that I won’t be able to have a true happy ending, if I can’t help you get yours. But it’s more than just that… I can be selfish too, you know. I want you in my life. Not just right now, not just when I’m alone here at Avonlea but with me after this, after I leave and even when I move away someday.”

“Belle… I know that you feel the need to care for me, but I’m not going to be a burden. I’m not going to make you suffer anymore than you have.” The raw emotion in that electronically formed voice is painful but Belle is not going to let it stop her.

“But you’re not a burden-why can’t you see that? You make me laugh and smile-in just a few months I’ve enjoyed myself more than I have in probably a year, yes, even though there’s been just as painful moments too. You make me feel comfortable and safe, even though I’ve seen you at your worse and with… Blood on your hands.” He recoils from her at that, closing his eyes as if he can pretend what is happening is not real. She can’t allow that, so her hands clasp about his wrists and keep him there with her in that moment. 

“You think you can’t give much in your own mind, I know you hate yourself for feeling that way but… You decided to hold a special little show for me tonight, made me my favorite tea, sang for me when you said you never would… You’ve given me this and so much more. I don’t know how you can’t see that.”

His lips are pressed firmly together and Belle watches them as they attempt to move apart. Instead hers do, spilling out a truth that must be shared.

“I don’t want to leave here without you when I have to go. I-I don’t want to be without you…”

She thinks about all the times she was left alone as a kid, after things got bad with her mother and father. The times when she was stuck with her grandparents, spent at a window looking out and wishing she had normal parents like everyone else. Then time passes, and she thinks things would be different and yet they truly never were. Friend after friend she’d made, for she was a pleasant person to be around, but there was no one… No one who got her, no one she could call to talk to in three in the morning, or who knew how she liked her tea exactly, or chatted away with her about silly books, her dreams, her fears, and other nonsense that didn’t even need to be talked about at all.

Then, there was him, the most unlikely character in this entire world who had made her feel so less alone. Someone who had spoken to her on a rainy night fourteen years ago and had listened to the tears of an eleven year old runaway from home.

“There are many things I’ve dreamt about, things I’ve wished for.” His voice is hardly a whisper but it draws her closer to him just so she can make sure she doesn’t miss a single syllable when he speaks. “I know none of them can never come true and I’m a fool for even imagining them happening. I dream about…” His eyes remained closed and his fingers clench tight together as well. “Being human, more than anything. Being normal, being likable, being everything I am not. I want to know what it’s like to feel the sun, or smell the rain, or taste a slice of pizza, the t-touch of a kiss… All these small things that only flesh and blood can enjoy. I want to know what it’s like to look like a normal man, have a family, and loved ones-or even what it’s like to wake up in the morning after dreaming terrible things but realize you’ve forgotten it all.”

She just listens to him, just listens and takes in everything he says without a single piece of judgement.

“But these are all impossible. I know that. Yet I keep… ”

The despair was thick and poignant and worst of all, Belle could say nothing to relieve it. All the young woman could do was curl her fingers tighter around the cuff of his coat while his segmented metal hands clutched themselves in fist full’s of nothing.

“I do have one thing I want most-what could possibly be the the closest thing to a happy ending something like me could have.” Her breath stills a bit as yellow orbs peek out beneath their lids, the warm glow spreading across his glittering gold skin and over her own, strong enough to taint the red light cascading down. “If I could make a difference in the life of someone-even just one person, then at last my existence could be bearable.”

A laugh bubbles out of her throat, spilling out and lighting up the air with its ring. 

Rumplestiltskin’s eyes open all the way and look at her, he’s confused and slightly hurt at the merriment that has forced it’s way out of her. She lets go of his wrists and quickly wraps her hands around his neck, drawing him closer and he stumbles toward her, not expecting the strength in her wee form. Despite laughing, despite feeling elated she stops her laughter so she can explain why she’s so happy. 

“Rumple…  _Can’t you see you already have_.”

His lips tremble and Belle can’t help but stare at them, all her thoughts are consumed by them. Even though he is trembling against her touch he makes no move to escape-and he so easily could.There is no ‘desire’ in his eyes for her to repel away from him, no, he looks like he ‘craves’ this-he is her willing captive.

This connection, this acceptance from her-was another part of his dream he believed so improbable even now.

It’s time part of his impossible dreams became a reality. No, he couldn’t be flesh and blood, would never know such things as what it’s like to breath in fresh air, the warmth of a hug, or feeling fingers brush against another’s. There is still some things he can learn and can enjoy however.

And she’d very much like to be the one to show him.

“Close your eyes.” Belle demanded, though with how quiet her voice is she can hardly call it a demand. He seems weary at first, he’s completely wary of everything going on though he is not escaping her cage of arms. It’s clear with how his eyes flicker about in their sockets and his hands hover near her hips-desperate to touch and yet unwilling to take hold what they desire. “Please. Do you trust me?”

The animatronic gives the slightest nod and finally fulfills her request. Those illuminated eyes disappear again behind metal lids and he stands perfectly still within her grasp.

Carefully, Belle stands up higher on her feet and moves her face closer to his. There is no warm breath to meet her lips that are a few scant inches away from his. The faux flesh of his face is more apparent up close, revealing the metal and machinery that was twitching and humming beneath the material. Yet there was nothing wrong with him in her minds eye at all.

When she closed her eyes and pressed her lips forward into his she found out there was no difference between them at all.

Rumplestiltskin gasps slightly against her mouth, a needy little sound that sparks her heart and pushes her further against him. She meant only to give him a gentle kiss when she started, so he could know that it was possible for even him to enjoy something as human as this.

Belle had never counted on how much she wanted this too. A passion fires up within, a desperation to feel something in a world that has been far too cold and void of comfort, and by the heavens above- **she feels it.**

As sudden as the moment had begun it ended-but not because she wanted it to or because Rumplestiltskin pulled away.

It was because something was moving outside right outside her peripheral vision.

“Rumple!” Belle squeaked against his lips and jumped back, nearly toppling over in her haste. All she could do was gawk and stare at the sight before her, with mouth slightly agape and all previous thoughts spiraling away.

The wires at the nape of his neck! They-They were all squirming and flinging themselves about in wild arcs around his head! 

Rumplestiltskin seemed completely unaware of this as he stood there eyes closed with cords and cables wriggling and whipping about in a frenzied manner. It almost looked as if they were alive with the way they flew and struck out in their frantic snaps of energy.

“Rumple! Are you okay? Rumplestiltskin!” Belle bellowed. Worry and fear washed over her and the lace of it in her voice is finally what must have broke through the fuzz in his system.

“Oh!” Rumplestiltskin blurted and his eyes popped open. As he did so the flurry of flying cords stopped altogether. It was as if a spell had been broken-they all fell back down to the floor with loud ‘smack’s’ against the wooden boards. It seemed something had happened internally to the mechanical man as he staggered back on clumsy steps and a bright spark shot out from within his coats collar. Belle was about to stumbled back to him in the panic that was building and start pulling at those awful things plugged into his nape herself but it seemed to stop.

The imp stood straight back up again but made no move for explanation. He just stared at her with a blank open mouthed expression.

Clawed fingers unconsciously rose to touch his mouth and Belle watched with concern, while fighting off her own urge to do the same. Instead she watched as he simply touched the green gold flesh there a moment before his mouth finally moved.

“S-S-So… That is a kiss… Incredible…” Rumplestiltskin sounded awed, more than she’d ever heard before.

“Yes.” Is all Belle can reply, still in shock with what just happened. If that was his body’s response to a kiss Belle wasn’t sure what else might happen if he were to experience more than just that.

“I… Quite, liked it.” His mouth twitches up against his will and it’s the cutest thing Belle has seen yet. There is simply joy flickering in both of them-oh yes she’s feeling just as giddy though it is far from her first kiss. She’ll gladly kiss him again and again if he’ll smile like that every single time, even if those cords and wires might take the power down for the entire building.

Then a choked sound comes out from his vocals, sending a pang of emotion throbbing through her chest. ‘Clank’s start emitting loudly from his rickety limbs as he sputters out his gratitude. “Thank you… Thank you… You’re far too kind to this old monster…”

The heat hasn’t fled from her face yet, though Belle is feeling the need to run herself. All these dangerous emotions were starting to seep back up to the top and she wasn’t sure she was ready to handle them yet-or at all. Right as she was about to turn and make way for the steps, to tease him and get back to that playful camaraderie they share had she is stopped. Unexpectedly one of the imps hands darted out and grasped her own. The cold metal sent a spark crawling up her spine, sending her own nerve endings flying about under the skin.

“Belle… I want to go with you. I know I shouldn’t do so, for your own happiness and safety. Not to mention that of all the humans outside these walls. I’m a monster through and through but… I’m a selfish creature too.” His voice is quivering though she can tell he is trying to be strong and let the walls down around him. It’s hard to bear yourself open when you’ve never had anyone to care at all-so she just listens once again. “I’m trying hard, to leave Avonlea, more than anything I’ve ever tried at in my existence. Please, just give me some more time… I’ll try even harder than before! I don’t want to ruin your happy ending after all… I’m not that much of a monster.”

“You’re no monster, no matter what you think. That’s alright Rumple, if you’re not ready, I’ll wait for you.” Belle smiles back at him, holding onto his hand even after he has stopped her good and well enough. “I know you need your time to get used to change… But don’t feel as if you have to do this out of obligation, I want you in my life but only if you want to be with me.”

His hand squeezes hers. Belle marvels at the intertwined fingers. Sometimes she swears their hands were made for each other-or at least Belle was born to fit within the notches of his own digits.

“Dearest, be careful with what you say, or you’ll really be stuck with me for life.” He titters a bit, lifting up his head and beaming at her. It sends hope back through her once again, that maybe they could leave Avonlea side by side one day. They could find a way to make this work-whatever the future was for them as well as whatever this was that was happening between them. Possibilities all kinds good and bad, beautiful and ugly began to emerge but they were pushed back for right now.

Instead Belle holds onto the present-specifically onto this moment in time she will treasure for the rest of her days. Tonight, this can be their own little happy ending.

“Just so you know, forever is fine with me.”


	17. Chapter 17

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As Belle and Rumple settle back into their normal routines, despite the reoccurring obviousness that things are changing between the two of them, the security guard faces some burning questions about Rumple’s origins. What is the meaning of ZOSO and why does it seem so important? Where did he come from? Why is he truly the way he is? However, a single chance makes all of the answers she’s been looking for possible.

No matter how hard he tried to accept what had happened between him and Ms. French was very much real, it still felt as if it was completely impossible. Yet, it had truly happened.

Belle had kissed him. 

It wasn’t a peck on the cheek like she had grown accustomed to give, which were ones he equally treasured each and every single time. No, she had kissed him with her mouth pressed against his own, choosing to do so of her own free will.

Another sigh managed to escape from within the jagged tooth lined jaw of the animatronic man, who sat curled up against himself in the dark corner of his tiny sanctuary. The evening sounds of Avonlea closing down like it did every day beyond his walls didn’t even register with him at this point. His jointed fingers fiddled with the edges of his odd leather coat while he allowed himself to distractingly day dream about that beautiful moment, one that seemed so unlikely and improbable, all over again.

Monday night of this week, after he set up a performance for his beloved Knight and after it had fallen around them, he had spilled his guts to her. The machine could no longer deny Belle’s plea to know them, so he admitted his deepest desires which of course were always so humiliating to face-especially in front of the person he desired. There should have been scoffing on her part, or amusement at the silly hopes of a machine longing to be a man but she had done something he hadn’t expected. 

Belle kept him within her grasp and gave him a brief ‘taste’ of what humanity had to offer to its own kind. Even now he can still sense the weight of her lips pushing up against his own firmly, though he desperately wished he could know what they truly ‘felt’ like. Honestly, he’d been utterly suprised at the act he had little time to take in anything else during the moment. Worse even to his own personal horror he had emitted a desperate cry that basically begged her to not stop.

It didn’t last very long, this kiss that should never have been, and yet it felt like eternity in that moment. A blissful eternity with Belle willing to kiss him, the monstrous animatronic man, out of her own desire. Had she truly wanted to kiss him? Was there even the slightest possibility that he was not alone in these ‘emotions’ he has tried to deny building in his system? Perhaps she could even grow to ‘care’ for him as he did her, to possibly, maybe lov-

That is where Rumplestiltskin has to stop himself. His metal eyelids fling themselves open, revealing his glowing amber eyes in the pitch black around him as well as revealing the soft smile on his face change into a frown. This day dreaming had to come to an end, before he built himself into this imaginary reality that could not, nor ever, be true.

Belle had only kissed him because she wanted to be kind to him and that was it, nothing more. He had spoken of the human things he longed for and she had willingly given him a small insight into the few of them he could honestly ever experience-since he couldn’t breath, nor taste, nor ‘feel’ no matter how much he wanted to. Truly Belle was kind in that regards, always selfless even to the point of offering bits of humanity to a lesser being. 

Now the animatronic was feeling guilty once more that she even had to force herself to go through with it. He can’t imagine that the fake material of his lips was pleasant to the touch to her own and he knows the face she had to bring herself close to do so is not pleasant to look at either.

Despite knowing these truths already-it still hurts him. Rumplestiltskin attempts to not allow it bring a ‘faulty’ sensation through parts of his gears, processors, and parts but he can’t. The machinery in his chest twists against other portions in a ‘dislikable’ manner with every thought of him putting her through such an awful experience.

‘I should be thankful Belle went to such lengths for me.’ He told himself within the confines of his skull. To ease himself he began humming his odd melody and let his flittering fingers calmingly count the imperfect row of buttons on his frayed vest. ‘She didn’t have to do that, and I should be happy enough she let me know that much about being treated as ‘real’. There is no way she could ever grow to desire… Me _._  It was a one time thing, I can’t freak her out with how much I… I do, I want to hold and kiss her again.  _If she knew she’d be disgusted._ ’

The self loathing kicks in, it makes him grind his nasty awful metal spikes for teeth together to drown the sound out in his head. Whispers full of awful wicked things about everything he was began to shoot through the code and numbers, filling him to the brim with all doubts and fears. With a tug of his wiry hair thanks to his own hands he pulls himself from the depths of his despair.

He would survive if Belle never returned his sentiments. All that mattered between the relationship Belle and him had was him making her happy or being useful to her in some way. He needed to do whatever it was to help her during their time here, or in their future together-if he can ever become brave enough to leave this god forsaken place around him.

It still makes him so very unsure, the idea of leaving the only place he has ever known (but could never be called home). Not that he isn’t wanting to be with Belle outside Avonlea, god-he wants to be with her in that world so much it makes sparks ignite within his limbs and body, but the thought of consuming her life even further made him ache. She deserved a life free from the burden that he was, but she seemed adamant in helping him. Belle had proclaimed after all that her happy ending would not be complete without him.

Like always he couldn’t believe it to be true, but he had seen the truth in her eyes that he couldn’t twist into anything else and he… He was too selfish to do the right thing, which was letting her go.

Rumplestiltskin continued to sit in his little den, consumed with haywire ‘emotions’. In fact, he was so consumed in his thoughts he failed to notice that it was already past closing, all humans were long gone, and he was free to wander up and down the halls as he saw fit. The ever changing mess within his own mind was finally brought to an end when suddenly the sound of footsteps down the hall disturb the serenity that had washed over the building.

“Ru…” He hears it in faint distance, the voice of his only companion. “Hey Rumple? Where on earth are you?”

“Huh? Belle!” The machine blurted, feeling embarrassed yet again that he got so caught up in his whirling code and data. Quickly, Rumplestiltskin rose to his feet and pulled back the panel blocking his secret lair and escaped, setting it back in place.

The maintenance room door opened effortlessly and soundlessly with just the right proper grip of his large hand. Peering out into the hall, he could see the beam of the security guards flashlight flickering over the walls and down the corridor before her. Belle must not have been here long, for her puffy coat was still concealing her form and her book laden purse was slid over one shoulder and bouncing against her side.

A naughty smile began to push against Rumplestiltskin’s mouth, crinkling the age lines of his face and making him look befitting of the title ‘imp’. Carefully on his boot clad feet he began to stalk forward towards her, lining his steps with hers to cancel out the sound, an art he had perfected in twenty five years. In a few seconds he was right behind her, ready to give her a good spook and earn the silly squawk of alarm from her as his prize.

Suddenly Belle stills in place and snorts.

“Rumple, I know you’re right behind me.” Belle’s voice reveals her large smirk and the imp drops his out raised arms that give a loud ‘clack’. A child like pout pushed across his features.

“You’re simply no fun, dearest. How did you know I was there?”

She turns then, and faces him, closing a bit of distance between them that has Rumplestiltskin attempt a step back to regain it. Was it just his imagination or was she always attempting to get very close to him now? Ever since Monday night she’d been acting even stranger than usual, though he sure he was as well with how much his cylinders and gears throttled in his body when she was around.

Those dazzling blue eyes peering at him were sharp thanks to the stream line of light from her flashlight, but always so beautiful in his minds eye. It always floored him just as well, that he could know and understand beauty and find desire for something physical in sense, squirm within his wires when he looks at her. ‘ _A machine ‘lusting’ after a human?_  You really are becoming broken pile of bolts.’

Belle clears her throat as if she knew he had been caught up in his head while he stared at her absentmindedly.

“Do you think after working here for nearly four months I wouldn’t figure out your tricks? Here’a a tip for future thought, your footsteps are eerily quiet but your coat does squeak when you raise your arms.” Belle reveals, smirking even further as she reaches a hand out to trace up a portion of the material that has betrayed him. “Might want to loose the leather if you plan on getting me next time-oh! You lost another button on your vest Rumple.”

“I did?” His eyes blink owlishly and he glances down to see that his ribbed vest was in fact missing another button-probably thanks to him in his daze from earlier. Tender small hands touch the two missing spots on his vest now, causing more squirming inside, while Belle looks at his clothing with a bit of a frown. 

“Well… H-How unfortunate. Nothing too terrible though-could be worse! Nyehee.” The animatronic emits a strange crackled sound.

The security guard didn’t seem satisfied as she furrowed her brows in thought. “Remind me before I leave tonight to bring my sewing kit in tomorrow so we can do something about it. I’ve got plenty enough buttons from my collection-ones that will match so we could replace all of them with.”

Rumplestiltskin laughs a bit, letting the titter truly alight within him. “But I thought you said you couldn’t sew?”

“I can’t, but I can always try at least, especially if I don’t want your outfit falling apart on you.” She squints at him, cheeks looking a tad bit rosier after his blunt reminder of her lack of skill with thread and needle. “I should also look to see if there is any possible way to save your boots too, they are awfully nice. I’d hate to have to get new ones solely to replace them.”

“Well, if it’s taught in a book I don’t doubt you couldn’t find a way.” Rumplestiltskin turns about from her on his heel, no longer minding the usual ‘clatter’ of his foot falls to disrupt the thick silence around them. 

He had to turn away from her just then. Once again Belle was thinking too much of him and caring for him far more than anyone ever has or should, which makes his guilt rise. He faces his own shrinking pride everyday with his growing hole ridden clothes-torn and frayed, as well as his own failing body. Being unable to do anything about it himself made him even more miserable. 

However her idea to try and learn from her books to properly sow gives him an idea. “Why don’t you bring me a book on sewing then, dearest.” He speaks up, while taking small steps away from her. “I’ll do my best to try and learn something too and be useful. Surely we can’t be both bad at it.”

He glances back but Belle is already at his side, sliding her left arm with the loop of his right and sending his frantic mechanical parts into overdrive again. “That’s a great idea, you could probably be really good at something like that, with how steady and firm your, um, h-hands can be.” 

Was his optic sensors betraying him or was the red of her cheeks suddenly getting even brighter? What was she talking about-did-did she… Like his hands?

Rumplestiltskin nearly shrieked at himself for letting his thoughts even start edging towards Belle reciprocating any emotions or desires for him, so he slammed that portion of his thoughts into another part of his system to stew about later.

“You know now that I was thinking about your clothes I remember there was something I’ve been meaning to ask you since Monday night. Actually I’ve been thinking about it for a while but never knew when best to bring it up… It’s about your boots.” Belle pauses a moment as they stride back towards her office to coop themselves up for the remaining six hours of her shift.

He’s intrigued, well, mostly confused over why his boots matter so much. “Yes? What about them? I don’t quite think they’d fit you if that’s what you’re wondering.” He giggles, putting his free clawed hand near his mouth to push his amusement. “With your tiny legs they’d probably go up to your thighs.”

“Hey-you’re hardly any taller than me imp!” Belle blurted playfully though her expression quickly turned back to one of seriousness. “No, it’s just. When you had started using the TV’s above the stage that night I saw some portion of your code appear really fast-more specifically a word that I know I’ve seen on your boots before.”

‘Oh-she’s speaking about that.’ Rumplestiltskin realized with a lazy blink. “You mean that word printed there, ‘ZOSO’?”

She nods her head, looking as eager as ever to learn something from him. “Yeah, but do you have any idea what that means or why it’s so important that not only is there a ’ZOSO Protocol’ in your system but it would also be imprinted onto your own boots?”

They stop right outside her door and the imp lets his hand curl about his chin as he pushed his memory banks into motion. He’s known the word ‘ZOSO’ ever since he was born but he had no absolute inclination of what it might possibly mean. The protocol itself established or at least  _had_  established the regulations and ‘programing’ that reinforced him to act in certain manners-specifically as an animatronic performer. It also worked alongside his basic functions and whatever it exactly was that ‘he’ himself happened to be.

There was the dangerous tingle in his head that he hadn’t felt in a while as he probed within him various systems. Whenever he tried to dig too deep into the ‘ZOSO Protocol’ it nipped back at him, warning him to not try and pry open parts of himself least he render himself even more broken-possibly even face fatal errors.

“No. I’ve no true idea why it’s there. It’s just part of my system that usually disappears when I’m completely booted or was on when I was going about breaking the ‘rules’ set for me at first, like when I couldn’t go outside. When I overcome a rule by my own will it seems to disappear even more so oddly enough…” He shrugs his plated shoulders and looks at her a tad sheepishly. 

This wasn’t the first time he’s wondered about the word ‘ZOSO’ nor the first time about himself in regards to his body beyond his stored memories. Still, it was always strange when he began to think of all the things about himself he didn’t know-hell, he didn’t even know who it was that made him after all.

“It’s just odd…” Belle mumbles as she opens her office door and lets the florescent lights click to life above them. “You see, ‘Zoso’ is apparently a form of an old symbol-more appropriately a sigil used in alchemy or those types of magic’s mixed with science to dictate the planet Saturn. Other than that I’ve got nothing else on what it could possibly be. There is no businesses or corporations, especially in the field of robotics or animatronics, that go about using that word as a label… Exceptthere is a rock band but I highly doubt Led Zeppelin has anything to do with you. Anyways, I couldn’t even find any local small businesses with a name like that no matter how hard I looked on the web or in the archives.”

“So far you seem to know more about it than even I do. I dare say a certain nosy guard started her own research.” He eyed her playfully though he was truly intrigued to this new information she had provided him instead of the other way around. 

The security guard gave a hefty sigh as she plopped herself down on the couch of her small office instead of her swivel chair, before she beckons him to join her with a pat of her hand on the spare cushion. Rumplestiltskin obliged like always and sat near her, though she closed the distance between them and rested her head against his shoulder.

“Probably should have told you that, but I thought-maybe if I did a bit of investigating I’d get somewhere, anywhere at all, but even after researching while I was at my job over in Boston I got nothing… I want to ask Mr. Getto so badly. I’m sure he’s the only one with any actual answers but I don’t even know how to go about doing something like that. ”

“I-I don’t think asking Mr. Getto would be best, Belle.” Rumplestiltskin quickly says while fretting over all the possibilities that were being calculated in his head. The use of her name instantly captures her attention as he had intended it to, drawing her gaze back to his own. “The old man may forget some silly rather important things from time to time but he’s still sharp and quick as ever. He’ll figure out you’ve got something to do with me and I can’t get you endangered if it somehow does.”

Belle keeps looking up at him as if she’s completely suprised he’d say such a thing-well, he was worried about her damnit! It was his promised duty to help watch out for her, though he knew she was very capable of taking care of herself.

The animatronic watches the curve of her whole brows fall down as she pressed closer to him, wrapping an arm around his torso in a gentle grip. God-she was snuggling him now, why? Why did she like being near him so much? It was going to make his programming overload!

“I’m not worried about myself, especially with how nice my boss is. What’s the worst that can happen to me? I get a scolding?” She looks so confident as she says this.

He tries to explain why he wants to keep her safe and uninvolved, though it was already too late for that. She’d been too involved from the moment she knew he existed.

“Well, you foolish Knight, you could… Um, get fired for one thing!” It’s lame but it’s all his processors could come up with immediately.

Belle laughs a bit, as if he’s found a funny spot within her. The melodious ring of her voice soothes and eases his worried sparks flying through out his body. “Pfft, sure I could get fired but I don’t care about that. I care about you way more than keeping the job. Though I guess when you think about it I wouldn’t be able to see you anymore if I did get fired, which would be dreadful… Ugh! Maybe you’re right, but I just want to help you Rumple. I want to know about you-all of you…” Those blue eyes pierce through the metal of his own and he feels his jaw gape open slightly.

If only she knew he felt the same way. He wants to know her past in full, but he also desires to understand, her heart, body, and everything else about her she was willing to give. He didn’t know if she wanted that much of him, though she was a terribly curious creature by nature-that was something… A bit more than one wanted from just anyone.

“I know I could do so much more for you if I knew about where you come from to, like repair wise or even just helping you know your own origins.” The little bookish woman fumbled with her hands, as if she was trying to grasp something he couldn’t see, much like his spinning wheel and the fine line of thread he had a long time ago. “I’m not really turning out to be much of a brave Knight am I?”

Rumplestiltskin snorted, feeling his growing ‘feelings’ for her swell with her devotion to him-one that was returned and would be if even it was unrequited. “You are more of a knight than anyone I’ve ever met.” He prevents her unnecessary addition of ‘I’m the only person you’ve really met’ with a gentle flick to her nose, earning a half lidded unamused expression. “Plus you don’t have to go about doing that, dearest. You’ve got too much already put upon you right now to deal with my silly lack of history. Ah! By the way, how is your father still doing?”

“I’m glad you asked, dad’s doing okay for the time being, he’s on his oxygen therapy and has an appointment for testing in January. In fact I don’t have work later today till my shift here so I’m going to be helping him around the shop-wether he likes it or not! He’s still in the recovery phase after all and we’re working on getting him some additional hired help.” Belle pauses a moment. “But it’s odd… He asked specifically for me to come over and that’s just so unlike him. Usually he’s a stubborn as can be and won’t ask for help till he’s in a real pickle.”

“Hmmm, I wonder where I’ve heard of someone like that before. I recall seeing a few months back a woman on a swivel chair attempting to put a light bulb in the ceiling with a flash light in her mouth.” The imp looks up in theatrical thought and earns a flick to the end of his metal nose-a resounding ‘tink’ fills the air. Though wearing a scowl for only a moment, Belle is at least smiling right now. She looks much happier and sure of her life in this moment with the way she leans back from him and into the couch cushions.

“That’s the pot calling the kettle black.” She points out. “But I guess that just proves the point that stubborn people are just magnetically drawn to other stubborn people. ‘Rumple’s Law’ or so it should be called.”

“Are you naming a made up law of physics after me, dearest? I’m hardly that stubborn!” Rumplestiltskin defended, putting a hand to his chest in mock hurt.

“Only a stubborn person would deny their own stubbornness! And you are quite possibly the most stubborn man I’ve ever had the pleasure to-” Belle tries to retort, but Rumplestiltskin reaches a finger out to poke her in the side to distract her further. This action seems to cause Belle to not sputter in anger but let a gurgle of laughter to spill out of her lips, while she quickly attempts to squirm away from him. “Hey! Hehehe! Don’t try to weasel your way out of the truth.”

“Interesting reaction.” Rumplestiltskin purred and noted her eyes quickly squint and her hands draw about her midsection as if in response. “I didn’t know that you laughed being poked there-perhaps I need to test it again.”

“If you want to keep your nose where it is melded onto your face you won’t.” Belle mumbles, but it’s too late. The imp is entirely intrigued with this odd response he has gotten out of her. His nifty metal fingers slip past her barricade of arms, which causes her to squeak out loud in the quiet surrounding them, and he presses his finger tips ever so carefully into the crooks of her ribcage. Laughter starts sputtering out from her throat, the wonderful sound that makes him giggle as well.

“Rumple! Hehehe! It tickles! I’m really-hehee! Ticklish there!”

“So that’s what this is, a ‘tickle’. Very interesting indeed!” He chirps back. The security guard attempts to flee from him and his deadly fingers by escaping from the couch, but he can’t let her go just yet. Rumplestiltskin scoops up the small woman into his arms and brings her against his chest so he can better torment her and earn that laugh that is filling the void in the air.

“You humans are so strange indeed!”

“RUMPLE! Hehehehe! Stop! Please, no more!”

Her request didn’t go unnoticed so the animatronic released his flighty fingers from her sides and came to a rest against the couch. Once Belle’s giggle fit began to die down she turned in his lap to better face him, bringing her flustered face a few scant inches of his own. 

Those radiant eyes are so close and this proximity allows him to better enjoy their beauty and the life sparkling in them. Though she happens to look a bit pestered now, he sees the fun in her expression clearly in the way her mouth scrunched.

“I can’t believe you found one of my shameful weaknesses, it’s not even fair. I mean, I can’t tickle you back.” The thick accent of hers is somehow even stronger amidst her slightly breathless words.

“The few perks of being a machine I suppose.” He simply replies, squinting his own scraps of eye lids gently and giving a wicked smile. “But a ticklish knight is such a charming concept! Alas, what kind of fearsome sorcerer would I be if that was how I went about our battles?”

“My, you have  _so much_  nobility for claiming to be such a formidable and vile villain.”

“This sorcerer only reserve such manners for his nemesis of course.” He teases in his high voice, fighting every urge to not reach his hands up and embrace her waist, to feel that pressure of her body in his empty hands. “So my dearest, what plans do you have for the evening?”

“Well, I brought back that science fiction story we’ve been reading, it’s in my bag. Only problem is I find myself seated comfortably in the lap of my greatest foe, who is rather warm in this chilly room, and I don’t know if I can get myself motivated enough to get up.” Belle states before giving a mischievous grin near fitting of his own and laying her head against his shoulder by the collar of his coat.

Rumplestiltskin blinked and realized what she spoke of was true. He had pulled her into his lap, drawn her against his body and had done so without much asking her consent as he always does with any touch. Embarrassment surged through his system and he tried to turn his gaze from her, so she wouldn’t see the conflicted ‘errors’ darting across his facial ticks. Yet a hand of hers, so light he barely sensed the weight, pushed back some of his curls and against the side of his face, bringing his gaze back to hers.

“Perhaps for just right now you could tell me the story about the Velveteen rabbit again, Mr. Master of memorization. So neither of us have to move.” Belle’s lit rung in his ears but the imp was having a hard time making out anything she said with how she was touching him so. Her brows turn up slightly when he fails to reply-sticking to gaping like a frightened animal at her, especially when those pink lips move after she just dabbed her tongue over them. “Of course only if you want to.”

“Very well-I’ll, ah, tell it to you.” He lamely responds. An odd electronic noise forces itself out of his metal throat when she pulls her hand away, leaving his face barren of her weight. She’s still in his arms though, refusing to leave his embrace. He is just as unsure as ever why she seems to feel so safe in the grasp of this bloodied inhuman monster, but if she chooses him he will not question her.

‘She has not rejected him yet. No matter what has happened…’ he reminds himself. Only time would tell when such a thing would happen. For now they were just as they were, two lonesome beings, friends and companions, drawn to each other for reasons no amount of science nor laws of the world could easily explain.

Rumplestiltskin kept his kneading fingers at his sides, letting Belle be the one to relish in all her touching-with her fingers curling around a portion of his vest’s lapels.

His voice crackled the air, breaking the quiet as he let the unforgettable tale spill forth from his lips. “There was once a velveteen rabbit, and in the beginning he was really splendid. He was fat and bunchy, as a rabbit should be…”

—————

Life was blissful in those few hours with Belle but like all time it had to pass.

The clock ticked and tocked it’s life away over Belle’s desk, warning both of them that it was nearing the dawn of six o’ clock in the morning. In the time before then the pair had eventually separated their seemingly un-separable forms-with Rumplestiltskin playfully dropping Belle onto the couch, before they went to reading their novel together, taking a break to go on a run of Avonlea, and just talking like normal. She was the first to notice their time was up and when the animatronic flicked his eyes to the black hands creeping forward to rob him of his companion he felt a snarl of jealousy boil in the back of his throat. 

His time with her was over though it felt like it had hardly begun.

“It hardly feels like it’s been six hours.” Belle frowns a bit while the machine simply agrees silently. “I better get going so I can get some rest before heading over to the flower shop today, we were so close to finishing the chapter though.” Belle yawns a bit, looking ever so sleepy with the way her eyelids droop and features soften. Rumplestiltskin fights the urge to help her as she stands and readies to depart. Seeing her hands fumble ever so slightly with her coat buttons as usual made him join her upon his feet. 

The security guard eyes his claws that near her own finger tips and gives him a sturdy ‘tsk’. “You’ve already lost a button today I’d like to keep mine, thank you very much.”

Rumplestiltskin rolled his metal orbs and wandered from her side towards the open doorway, letting himself slink into the shadows. A few moments later the light from the office clicks off, casting the place even further into darkness. His optic sensors switch modes automatically so he could see just the same. Even without such handy optic sensors, Belle easily moved beside him, seemingly unfazed anymore by the abyss that was surely before her and her less keen night vision.

How it ate at him to know that she’d already spent so much time here at night that she could now traverse the halls without a light for the most part. A creature made of light such as herself didn’t belong being caged up here even if it was only for six hours a night. The darkness was his home, not hers. It’s hold was not worthy of her fair skin or wonderful heart.

Together they walked towards the back door, a silent routine neither really commented on though Rumplestiltskin thought about it every so often. Easily the alarm was turned off and the back door opened beneath Belle’s touch, spilling the growing dawns light into the building. He blinks a moment, adjusting his optics again to see properly and fails to notice a small hand reach out and touch his chest.

“You have a good rest of your morning, I’ll see you later tonight of course.” Belle voice rings and he’s just dumbfounded over how so easy it was for her to touch him. He’ll never understand. “I think we should have a movie night tonight, how does that sound?”

“That sounds wonderful, I did quite enjoy those horror movies you brought before, perhaps we’ll watch more of those?” It was meant as a tease and it worked just as planned.

“We’re not going to be watching horror movies, not if I’d like to keep the proper sleep I manage to squeeze out right now!” Her laugh bubbles up through her throat, splitting her lips apart and doing so to his own. 

The urge to kiss her then and there himself was rising and Rumplestiltskin had to fight with his code and desires to not reach forward wrap her up with his arms and lavish his lips upon her own. He was a machine dammit! There should be no desire in him to do such a thing, but how could he not with how incredible she was? Was it so wrong to want her as he did?

Desperate to not let his already moving arms from capturing her and frightening her with his ardor, Rumplestiltskin blurted the first thing that came to mind. “Don’t forget about your sowing kit!”

Belle blinks a moment and then lifts up a hand to smack her face gently. “See, this is why I asked you to remind me, it had slipped my mind completely. I’ll put it in my car first thing when I get home, along with my buttons.”

Then she stood up on the tips of her boots and placed another dainty kiss to his cheek. Rumplestiltskin’s voice box rumbled in appreciation despite him trying not to let it.

“Have a good day dearest.” He hummed when she pulled away from him, noting how her demeanor didn’t seem to change from his ever so positive response to her kiss. Perhaps she wasn’t entirely disgusted by him in that sense. Maybe, there was a chance he could show her a tiny scrap of his budding emotions towards her without being rejected or frightening her.

Then, with a sudden bravery he was trying so hard to keep steady, he took hold of one of Belle’s hands and brought it towards his mouth. He had every intention of kissing her knuckles like he’d seen the knight in the play do for it’s beautiful princess-though they are far from the forced cheery pair on stage.

Just as he was about to, noticing a flash of surprise in her eyes, something makes him stop.

Her fair small hand… Was so close to his slightly open mouth. They were delicate fingers that he held, whole and beautiful-and what would happen if he were to loose control for even a millisecond of time?

A repeat of past events, made up of the breaking of bone, splintering screams, and begs for forgiveness.

_‘Don’t scream! I’m sorry I didn’t mean-I didn’t mean it-I didn’t mean it-’_

The mouth of a monster had been so close to veins full of precious blood-the same mouth that had torn and taken apart flesh, muscle, and tendons just like hers.

Instantly he lets go of her and whirls about on his feet, feeling a strain of power shoot through his endoskeleton, rendering him nearly immobile like all those years ago. The horror of his actions, every bit of it came fleeting back to the surface and he had to stop himself from outright screaming as well as running back into the darkness of his hideaway.

‘It’s not then-you wouldn’t do that to Belle! It’s not then-but you did do it! To a child-you crunched his bones as if they were twigs and couldn’t stop-you just couldn’t stop-couldn’t stop- _stop-stop-stop-_ ’

“Rumple! Are you alright!” Belle’s voice quivers slightly behind him and he has to bring a hand up to cover his eyes least he be tempted to look back and see that flicker of fear in her own. The sudden shaking of his metal form ends when his system regains control, leaving him the same as a statue there on the tiled floor.

“No… I’m not alright.” He honestly says, trying his hardest not to hide from her like he has time and time again. “But I will be okay, in time. I’m sorry if I frightened you-I think part of me failed a moment.”

“You didn’t frighten me… Well you did but just because you made me worried about you.” A hand, the same one he was just holding, touches his back and sends a jolt up his rigged metal spine. “Do you need me to stay for a bit longer? I don’t have to leave right away.”

He fights back the urge to plead ‘yes’, to ask her to hold him and pretend that the horrible thing in him, waiting to break free, was no more than a terrible imaginary flicker. Whenever he is with her he does so much better coping, he bounces back faster and regains himself. Yet, keeping her with him while he is in such a state means threatening her life if he fails to keep himself together. That is one thing he won’t allow.

“Please go, enjoy your day with your father.” Rumplestiltskin replies, waiting for her to realize the fact that it was best for her to go, to leave the beast that was facing the verge of another fit.

How could he ever let himself think it would be okay to go with her?

“Very well… Have a good day too, I’ll see you later Rumple.”

Several moments of silence tormented them both before Belle finally made a move, taking her hand back and exiting through the door. The wonderful light from outside embraced her and abandoned him altogether when the finality of the knob’s ‘click’ rung through the air. He waited further, for the sound of her car engine to ignite and the crunch of tires pulling away from Avonlea.

Then he steps forward on staggering legs into the hallway, feeling his self loathing rocket away while he regained control.

“Stupid-utterly stupid!” Rumplestiltskin felt like shrieking at himself. How dare he have taken her hand and brought it so close to his jaws like that! He keeps forgetting his place-those deadly teeth had no right to be near her person or anyone at all. God, if he might have even hurt her slightly he would have torn himself apart right where he stood till he was a pile of rubble!

His footsteps lead him past the maintenance room door, past the break room, and nearing the other end of the corridor. He needs to move. He needs to keep his servos rotating and his mind from the horrible memories of blood and gore that have soaked into his head-rusting his insides.

Something catches his wild eyes, a flicker of shape and color that freezes him in place in fear. He nearly laughs after a moment when he realizes what nearly spooked him.

It was just the glass panel that lead a view into the play area for the kids, and the flicker had been his own shape and form in the faint reflection thanks to his eyes. Seeing his own image didn’t happen very often, and for the moment he lets himself have a true look at himself.

The machine is somehow suprised to see himself looking as he does in the dim light. He swore he didn’t remember looking that grotesque, nor as rough with the scales, nor as inhuman with his hinged jaw gaping half open. The slab for a nose on his face and his sphere for eyes that were so distorted felt wrong as well in this vision. It was the same face he’d had for twenty eight years but it was as if Belle’s own opinion of him was somehow changing his perception of who and what he is. Perhaps her kindness and treatment of him was infecting his system, shifting his mind into a world of disbelief.

No amount of wishful thinking or kindness could alter the thing looking back at him.

“You keep forgetting what you are,” He tells the machine that staring back at him pitifully, with a pain in it’s metal gaze that shouldn’t be there. “And you can’t-you’re not a human, you’re not even a  _man_. You have no right to that world no matter how much you long for it! Just as you have no right to that light that you weren’t ever meant to see.” 

A clawed hand approaches the visages face, attempting to tear the reflection away from his sight. It doesn’t work.

How could Belle see anything in this husk? How could she waste such affection on the low likes of him who has spilt so much blood-a  _child’s_ blood at that, and has caused nothing but agony for all the humans who have interacted with him.

How much would he inflict if he did go with her? Could he force her to not only bear this awfulness in him but also force her to have to look upon ‘this’ for the rest of her life?

The machine staring back looked ready to beg and plead its case, to try and form some way that it could convince Rumplestiltskin that it could go with Belle, it could be part of her world and keep her safe. It was tempting to let the animatronic speak but his mind knew what was the right thing to do. There was no point in letting a delusional thing get it’s hopes up.

Rumplestiltskin growled and let the venom pour forth in a nasty voice that surged from his throat. “Don’t even try! You absolutely have no right to want her like that in the first place! She’ll never feel for you as you do for her, so get over it, no one could ever want you like that anyways! Why… Why would you even want to make her suffer such a thing if she even could possibly return the sentiment… If you really loved her you’d just leave her alone!”

The machine who looks just like him watches back without a word, clearly heart broken if it even were to have such a thing pumping in it’s chest, and it’s more than Rumplestiltskin can bear.

Instantly he closes his eyes, no longer watching at the animatronic that follows him at every turn and in every reflective surface that he so readily avoids. 

Only the darkness greets him as it always does when his eyes shut. It’s the only thing he trusts that he can not hurt nor nor will reject him for what he is.

Yet he weeps in tearless sobs that echo down the empty hall. For he knows when he opens his eyes the darkness will abandon him just the same, the machine will be there staring back at him, and nothing will have ever changed.

—————

Belle couldn’t help herself, no matter how hard she tried to stop the action from repeating itself. Her fingers found themselves, when she was absent minded, tracking over the knuckles of her right hand in gentle circles. Even now several hours after departing Avonlea she could still feel the cold touch of metal against her skin, sparking life in her veins and hope in her heart for something she is growing to desire. What it is exactly she is unsure-though hopeful and alarmed by.

Her blue eyes lidded slightly as she recalled that short, tender, and charming moment with her impish companion. It looked as if he were going to kiss her hand in such a romantic and unlikely gesture of a ‘terrible villain’, a thought that sent blood pumping into her veins. Just as he was close to doing so, bringing his ever soft lips towards her hand, he suddenly reacted badly.

There had been fear in his face again-clear enough with how his eyes had monetarily flickered to the tiny specs that worried her. Belle could tell now that this was the same flurry of fear she’d seen well enough before in the machine. It was the same Rumplestiltskin had worn on the second night they’d met when he accidentally hurt her hand and the night where the horrible break in had taken place where he was left to gape at the aftermath he’d caused. 

But mostly, it had to be the haunting memories of what he’d done nearly twenty five years ago that she’d seen in the wild glimmer of his eyes.

‘Why won’t he just tell me what happened? I won’t reject him for it, he should know that by now. There’s so much good in him despite the bad I don’t know and the bad I’ve seen first hand… But he keeps it bottled in so tightly, how else is he ever going to expect to react if he can not even face that fear.’ 

Belle continues to think deeply as she dresses from her nightgown in the slip of afternoon sunlight streaming in through her bedroom window into more fitting outdoor weather for the cool month of December. Her few morning hours of sleep went surprisingly well today, though she had turned and tossed a bit over the incident she thinks about now.

As the beauty walks through her small apartment her eyes begin to rove over the various pieces of furniture and overall space of her living area. Her thoughts begin to trail off onto something else, instead she was now pondering on how she could rearrange her apartment for her mechanical companion when he was to come live with her. 

He’d need an outlet to himself for when he was ‘resting’, but then should she get another bed for him to have? Rumplestiltskin always charged and slept on the ground, which seemed to cruel to force him further in her own home-though he claimed time and time again he couldn’t feel the harshness of the floor, so it meant little to him. 

Wandering a bit further and picking up some stray books on her kitchen table to set back in their proper place, she thinks about it even further. His items wouldn’t be an issue to bring over. Her bedroom closet had plenty enough space left over for his few clothes he currently had and for the more he’d obtain in the future, as well as storage for his trinkets and collectables. Perhaps she could even work a corner of her living room into a bit of a workspace for them both when he’d need repairs-another desk in addition to her own couldn’t hurt.

This train of thought makes the line of her lips swing upwards. Truly she has been looking forward to that day, and much to her own surprise the joy wasn’t just about giving Rumplestiltskin a true home to live in and belong to-though it caused her to grin to double in size. Much to her growing realizations as of late, especially since their dancing and… Kiss, she realized that she too would like to find a place and be able to call it home. With him it seemed so possible no matter where she was. 

‘But those are things that you only need to worry about if he chooses to come with you after all.’ The ever gentle logical voice in her mind reminds her of this fact. Sadly, the curve of her lips falter. ‘You don’t know if he will, and are you sure that’s what you or him really want? Your life will never be ‘normal’ if you do share your home and space with Rumple.’

There was no denying the truth in those rational thoughts. Taking Rumplestiltskin in would create a more hectic life than she has let herself truly accept yet. Simple things such as inviting anyone over would become a troublesome affair, people could get nosy and start to suggest she wasn’t living alone (which didn’t so much bother her as it would be none of their business), but most importantly, keeping him caged in another place with less space than Avonlea wasn’t much kinder to him. 

Yet all of these things she’ll gladly and willingly pay for it if means he’s not stuffed inside that even tinier room for hours upon hours during the day time when he should be free to walk around. Rumplestiltskin might not be a human in body but he should be given the same respect and kindness as one. He deserved a chance to see sunlight just as as she did, to have company than just a few hours a day, to have someplace he is meant to be, and it’s not like she plans on living in this small apartment forever. 

‘No, I’m not going to be here for the rest of my days so there’s no point in letting my hope get squashed.’ Belle smirks to herself, letting the worries and anxieties fade away for the time being as she continues preparing for the remaining daylight hours left. 

There was no danger right now for either of them, though the fear of her attacker suddenly popping back up always lurked in the back of her mind. Belle was positive there was plenty of time for her and her mechanical man to figure out just what it was they were going to do. Perhaps with a bit of extra hard work her dream home wouldn’t be too far from her grasp… Yeah, it wasn’t. The silly young woman’s grin spreads even wider as she straps on a pair of her shorter heels to match her darker skirt and sweater for the day. 

‘Maybe now my dream house will be a quaint cozy one on the edge of town or out in the country so Rumple and I could have all the privacy we want. Father could visit once he gets better, perhaps over time he could even meet Rumplestiltskin and accept him as I do.’

A calming breath escapes her again, at the hopeful dreams of a possible future. So her smile remains full force as she dons on the final piece of her outfit, her puffy coat, and prepares to head on over to the flower shop as she’d promised her old man. The thought of walking and enjoying the last smidgen of warm weather before they were tucked away was too enticing to let herself just drive down the several blocks to get there.

The sun shine on this December afternoon welcomes her with it’s embrace despite the chill, and Belle feels some tension coil away as she darts down her apartment steps and begins her trek. The afternoon traffic slowly whirls by down quiet main roads, as the lunch hour has already begun and people were settled at the few food establishments in town to grab a bite. A crisper scent strikes the air, tinted with smoke and whiffs of food, and it fills her lungs as well as sends a tremor of emptiness down into her gut.

‘I should bring me and my father some lunch as well before I head over, who knows if he’s even gotten anything today.’ Belle decides, feeling her own desire of a good meal too.

Her stroll ends up with her crossing the street and passing by some of the local shops, which she can’t help but peer into slightly as her curiosity demands it. Dave’s Fish and Chips reveals they’re semi busy with their own lunch crowd-though Belle doesn’t particularly care for the food there, and as she continues to walk she sees the Hardware store is mostly empty but it’s a Friday, so that’s normal. 

However, the store that catches her eye the most, as she briskly walks towards the other end of main street, is the pawn shop. It always does pull her eyes in whenever she passes. ‘Mr. Gold Pawnbroker and Antiques Dealer’ as it was called on the hanging extended sign that sat firmly above her head. It has always been known and spoken of as ‘Mr. Gold’s Pawnshop’, at least as long as Belle had moved to Storybrooke and heard about it. Hilarious enough the shop wasn’t even owned by a Mr. Gold. Maybe it had been at one point in time but the current owner had kept the namesake since it’d been with the town that way for quite a while.

Glancing inside through the semi cluttered windows, Belle sees various antiques, items, odds and ends. They all look terribly intriguing, each with their own story to tell and thus that captivates her mind for a good full minute. The shop reminds her of Rumplestiltskin’s odd little assorted shelves, full of things most people wouldn’t take much notice of though they each held a tale meaningful to the item. Maybe one day she’ll go inside and look around. There might be rare books in there or something her father might like-perhaps there might even be something Rumplestiltskin might adore to add to his collection.

Instead of wandering inside the store like she could no doubt for hours Belle managed to keep herself on track. Her heeled feet carry her down the aged sidewalk further, till she reached her current destination Granny’s. Luck seemed to favor her because the lunch rush didn’t look too busy from outside the sandy looking building as she was walking up the concrete path. 

Yet, once again, Belle was pulled to a sudden stop when she noticed two familiar faces approaching the diner from the other way. It was the ever on the job Deputy Swan and dear Henry approaching, both looking quite the fitting pair as they strolled side by side. It brought the ever present smile to curl further on Belle’s lips. Honestly from the few times she’d met Ms. Swan during the woman’s stay in town she never looked as happy as she did just enjoying some time with her  _son_. Henry looked just the same-as happy as a kid his age should be.

The moment of happiness didn’t last as long as Belle would have liked.

A rather nice black car came hurtling it’s way down main street, pulling up towards the sidewalk near the walking duo and haltering Belle from calling out to say hello. She’d never seen this car around before personally or had but didn’t know whose it was, but it was clearly an expensive one from looks and build. 

As it came to a harsh stop a taller woman stormed out the drivers door and whirled upon Ms. Swan and Henry Mills like a coiled snake rearing back and striking. This woman that had appeared so suddenly was looking quite as cut and clean as her car did in her skirt and suit combination. That’s when it clicked as various mental snap shots of the mayors face from newspaper clippings filtered through her head. That must be the ever so famous (and generally unanimously disliked) Ms. Mills.

Belle meant to go continue on her way into Granny’s, she really did, but the way Ms. Mill’s harsh voice cracked the air and peace around them caused her foot to plant itself back down onto Granny’s sidewalk.

“Just who the hell do you think you are Miss. Swan?”

“Regina-what are you talking about-”

“You know damn well what I’m talking about or do I need to remind you about how you need to stop trampling through other people’s lives.”

Belle gulped a bit, noticing an apprehensive look flickering across Henry Mills face in response to his adoptive mothers outburst. Emma herself looked mildly concerned but then her green eyes steeled and she said something quietly to Henry who tried to continue their own path to Granny’s. The boy wasn’t fortunate and didn’t make it very far. Ms. Mills put a hand on her son’s shoulders and said something even more firmly than Ms. Swan had, causing the boy to turn from Granny’s to face the sleek car, open the back passengers door, and sadly hop inside.

The boy gave a slight wave to Emma, who just nodded her while saying something Belle couldn’t quite hear, before he shut the door with a loud ‘thunk’. 

Belle put a hand to her mouth slightly, feeling ever so sorry for the poor boy that had to see his adoptive mother react like this as Regina’s whirlwind continued on. That was no healthy way to respond to anyone in front of a child nor to their mother-no matter if Emma had given the boy up for adoption or not as Belle had been told.

“I don’t know if you were ever taught any proper manners Swan, but you need to stay away from the ones I care about.”

“Oh boy, you’re in for the show.” The voice of Ruby emerged right near Belle’s right, startling her slightly. Belle turned her head quickly, spilling her flowing curls about her shoulders, to see Ms. Lucas, in usual uniform, standing right next to her and looking at the display with a small frown. “I don’t know what Emma did to piss off the ‘Evil Queen’ so much today but it must have been something pretty big.”

“Evil Queen?” Belle quirked a brow as she and Ruby began to walk towards the door to Granny’s and less from the scene that was stirring right there in front of them. Even if Belle was curious she had no right to pry into their matters, though Regina was sure making it easy for all of Storybrooke to hear about them.

The door jangled as they walked in and the growing voice of the mayor nearly disappeared in volume when it closed after them.

Ruby snorted, looking a tad bit amused. “You never heard that nickname before? Mary Margaret had called Regina that when we were having a girls dinner night a few years ago with some other friends. Much to her horror and embarrassment the name stuck with everyone when they heard about it-the whole town pretty much agrees.”

“That can’t be a good thing to hear your own mother being called that when you’re the mayor’s kid.” Belle pointed out, while thinking that Regina odd enough had quite the resemblance to Avonlea’s own ‘Evil Queen’. Thinking about the look on Henry’s face just then and there made her more miserable than she already was today. It reminded her too much of how she looked at that age.

“No you’re right.” Ruby agrees while the two of them settle down at the bar within the diner, Belle at her favorite stool and the waitress behind the counter. The light scraping of plates and chatter is not nearly as loud as usual so the waitress lowers her voice a bit more for sake of not disturbing the quiet atmosphere. 

“Henry is a real good kid, but living and growing up with some like that has got to take it’s toll. I never see him hang out with anyone his own age or go around town with a group of friends.” The taller woman shakes her head slightly, but there is no amusement or fake laugh to lessen the sting. “That’s got to tell you something is wrong.”

“He looks really happy when he’s with Emma though.”

“Yeah, he does doesn’t he? Emma coming to town has been such a good thing, and not just for Henry either. She’s been making a stand against the Evil Queen at every turn-did you hear she cut off a branch from Regina’s apple tree?” Ruby gabbed a bit loudly then, leaning against the bar’s glossy top with a wild eagerness. “Ms. Mills was so pissed that day I could practically hear her indignant screeching at Graham to arrest her from five blocks away.”

Belle had to fight back the laughter bubbling up at the thought of Emma going to the lengths of chainsawing a tree just to make a point to Regina. “I must live under the biggest rock in Maine because I have  _not_ heard about that.”

“We’ve got to get you out of Avonlea so you’ll know what is actually happening when the sun is up. But-poor Graham, I gotta say he has to deal with her all the time and that has to suck. No one would get paid enough to do that.”

“All I’ve heard about Regina most of my life has been unpleasant things, but maybe even she needs a bit of understanding too.” Belle shrugs her shoulders, encasing her face in the puff of her coat for the moment. It wasn’t like her to believe there was only ‘bad’ in people-there was a speck of good within every single person wether they wanted to believe in it, ignore it, or if other people didn’t want to see it.

“You’re such a compassionate person Bells, I wish I was that willing to try to understand people.” The waitress before her seemed immoveable from her opinion, but Belle respected that-she did live here her entire life after all. Before they continued, Ruby reached for a notepad and took Belle’s two lunch orders to get the cook right on it. The front door jangled behind them with the bells ringing when she began to speak again. 

“Regina is where I draw the line at the theory of killing with kindness. Tell me, how is one person continuously elected mayor time and time again in a town like Storybrooke? I know for a fact other people have ran against her but I’m sure she plays crooked and gets them knocked out of the race or outvoted with her position and power. No one really agrees with all her polices-not that they’re all about burning down the kids playgrounds and righting up altars to sacrifice babes mind you.”

“Now that is something I’m sure I would have heard about.” Belle comments while trying to hide her growing smile and amusement over the dark joke. The thought of seeing Ms. Mills trying to tear down all the fun in this small little town was terrifying and hilarious at the same time.

“Trust me when I say Regina might be able to get things done with that fury of hers, but only because everyone is terrified of her. She’s hardly in anyone’s list for most ‘favorite elected representative’.”

“So what you’re saying is that she’s not adequate as a mayor in the people’s eyes, or have I just misunderstood?”

Both Belle and Ruby’s eyes widened in surprise as they turned in unison to the new voice that had been directed at them.

Belle felt her cheeks flush a bit, horrified that maybe Ms. Mills had come into Granny’s regardless of the awful match she’d seen outside and over heard their conversation. That horror died slightly when she realized it wasn’t Regina at all. 

Yet, for Belle, a new type of fear, and an odd one she’d never truly felt before in her entire life just by looking at someone, crawled up her spine in a brief shiver.

The woman gazing at the security guard and waitress was someone Belle didn’t know. She was an older woman, probably in her fifties if anything, with clean business like make up with fitting skirt suit combination, rich brown hair that lay down to her shoulders in soft curls, and dark brown eyes that seemed to bore holes straight through Belle’s face where ever they landed. Elegance and femininity oozed around the stranger and yet the way her hands held her purse at her side spoke of strength that Belle could some how see, a ferocity that should not be walked upon.

It was the first time they had ever met and yet Belle instinctively wanted to step away from this woman and escape the sharpness of her eyes.

“Oh-Um,” Ruby gabbed a moment while Belle readied to say something herself, but her friend shot a glance over to Granny in her desperation. Belle glanced to Granny as well, hoping to see the older woman’s usual abrasive and unfazed nature just brushing the woman off, but even she looked… Nervous. However, Ruby flashed a smile towards the newcomer and managed to form something cohesive in response. “No, not at all. Regina makes a fine mayor it’s just-we don’t always agree about all of her… Choices, as being sound with the voice of Storybrooke is all.”

The woman smiled slightly then, and to anyone else watching the scene it was a polite nice smile, but to Belle it spoke anything but sincerity.

The woman spoke quickly in response. “That’s alright, being in a position of power requires you to make choices that not all others might understand with whatever given background they might have, but eventually they’ll be thankful once they do realize things are well as they are.” The woman turned from both Belle and Ruby abruptly to face the cash register and Granny herself. With the cool kept smile in place she ordered her three drinks, two coffees and a cup of hot coco, and paid for them before turning back to them both.

Ruby was still seemingly shocked while standing in place with her mouth almost agape that Granny had to literally snap at her to get back to work. So the waitresses returning to her duties was forced to abandon Belle, leaving her with a soft worried glance between them. She simply nodded in reply, glad that at least she managed to get away from this encounter with limbs in tact.

Belle was hopeful that the woman was no longer interested in bothering her, but it didn’t seem to be that way at all with how she peered back at her intently.

“You seem very familiar, but I can’t quite place where I’ve seen you before.” The woman tilted her head slightly.

Belle didn’t like this feeling of being peered upon as if she was lesser than the person before her, like an insect being judged under a microscope, so she let her previous nervousness dissipate and let her fiery bravery have it’s way. After all, Belle didn’t let anyone push her around and her wit was still very much in tact.

“I used to live here when I was younger perhaps that’s why I seem familiar. My name is Belle French.” She replied in continual politeness.

The woman seemed to realize something with how her brown eyes lit up for a moment as she put up a curled finger near her chin. “Ah, yes you’re Mr. Moe French’s daughter. Your the ones I’ve heard about who moved over here from Australia quite a few years ago and opened up a flower shop-after your mother died, am I correct?”

A pang shoots through the young woman’s heart at the mention of her mother, a topic no one around Storybrooke really seemed to mention or know that much about. It wasn’t as if Belle avoided telling the truth, anyone who asked about her mother got their answer because it was the truth no matter how she liked it, it was just no one really asked mostly because they assumed or thought it was impolite. What disturbed Belle the most was the thought that one would think sympathy would be shimmering in someones eyes after such a statement, a thin veil of honest compassion if even for a moment in regards to the person bearing the loss…

The woman just continued to smile that faux polite smile and Belle felt a tint of red start to creep into her vision. 

This stranger wearing the face of someone trying to be friendly knew exactly who Belle was. There was no way she didn’t if she already had that information in hand with the way her body language spoke in opposition to her facade.

“I just realized I should have already introduced myself, how impolite.” The woman removed her hand and adjusted her purse, looking as if she was quite embarrassed by this bit of her improper manners. “I’m Cora Mills-or Ms. Mills senior you could say, though I’m not terribly fond of the thought of that name yet.” She gives a laugh that doesn’t reach her eyes or make Belle return the sound. No her skin just crawls even more so.

‘Oh, now this is making much more sense than before-her being Regina’s mother and all.’ Belle thinks to herself, keeping her own fronted smile upon her features. “Nice to meet you Ms. Mills.”

“Likewise. So, Ms. French, you live here in Storybrooke again? Surely you’re not interested in staying here for forever, though it is a wonderful community to settle down into with time. Someone like you… Seems the type to spread their wings and try new places instead of being cooped up in one spot.”

“I’d like to but issues with my father have arisen, so I live here and work here part time to help make sure I’m nearby in case his health declines.” Belle honestly answers, folding her hands other each other on the countertop to the bar to help steady herself.

“Such a shame, you have my condolences-hopefully he’ll get to feeling better. Though you say you work here part time?”

Belle is practically begging Ruby and the others making their drinks to just hurry up right now so she could escape this uncomfortable atmosphere that has swallowed her right up.

“I work at Avonlea’s Family Fun Center. I’m a security guard there during the week nights and daytimes for big events.”

“Oh-I nearly forgot about Avonlea being here. It’s been a while since I’ve visited Storybrooke myself and yet every time I come back I’m suprised that place is still open.” Cora laughs again, though Belle feels her pride for Avonlea be stuck at again-and by a stranger no less! “Such a dreadfully tacky business in my opinion, but I hope I haven’t offended. With a place like that I’m just worried about safety regulations of the sort, I’ve heard rumors about an accident that happened there years ago so who can be sure something of the sort won’t happen again… I myself happen to manage and work for a technology company devoted just to that, the betterment of safety for people in general.”

“No offense taken at all. I can see you’re just worried over what’s best for adults and children alike, but I have to say Avonlea is kid friendly and safe as can be. I help make sure of that.” Belle replied just as quickly as Ms. Mills had spoken not too long ago when Ruby was still present. “So I’m one hundred percent positive they’re going to be open for quite a while more.”

“I see…” Ms. Mills replied a bit quietly and Belle felt she’d finally turned the verbal tables against her opponent. Just at that moment Belle saw Ruby  _quickly walking_  over to them and handing a cardboard cup container towards Ms. Mills, with all three drinks in tact. “Why thank you. Wonderful chatting with you Ms. French, perhaps we’ll cross paths again one day-” Cora grabbed her drinks and began to turn before she looked back and gave one last smile. “Oh, and I wish your father the best. It’d be a shame to loose another French, wouldn’t it?”

Belle felt her fingers coil hard around each other as they laid folded on the bar’s countertop while she watched the older woman finally turn and head towards the front door. A thick silence, worse than the soft sounds before Ms. Mills had even entered, settled back down over the diner when the door’s bell jingled and the wood frame ‘clunked’ to a close. 

“What a frightening lady-yikes!” Ruby mumbled after a few moments of waiting for the figure to walk down the street, towards that black car Belle had seen pull up. Regina and Emma still seemed to be going at it from the looks of it, though it looked as if the mayor was now pulling away from the fight, it was hard to see from slatted window blinds. 

“So that’s Ms. Mills senior? Never seen her around here personally and I can’t believe I thought one Mills was the worst thing we c-hey… Belle are you okay? She didn’t suck your soul out or drink your blood dry right?”

Belle snaps back from staring at the diners door and looks to Ruby, hoping the unease and anger that had pounded into her heart was not apparent on her face.

“No, I’m fine, she was just a bit abrasive that’s all.” Belle shrugged her shoulders. There was no point in letting someone as wicked as Ms. Mills bother her when they would most likely never meet again. Though it started to make Belle reconsider her earlier stance on there being even the slightest speck of good in ‘everyone’. The woman had purposefully tried in her sharp edged words to damage Belle, and though Belle was sure she’d continue about her life just as always… Cora had managed to break through the skin all while bearing a polite smile.

“And now here comes the aftermath.” Ruby whispers slightly and sure enough the blonde haired deputy was forcefully walking up the steps to the diner, even without Henry in tow. “Hey Emma. Need a drink? I’m sure Granny could let one on the house slide just this once.” The waitress spoke as Emma entered through the jingling door and approached the bar, looking as tired as someone ought to after all that.

Granny still tending to business behind the cash register spoke up. “I think that’s fair just this once.”

Belle watched as Emma shook her head and gave a tired smile. “No, a little too early today to have a glass, though later tonight I might take that offer up.”

“Was Henry alright?” Belle speaks up, as she was too worried for the small boy to not inquire. She notices hurt flicker across Emma’s face as the woman sits down next to her to the security guard on the empty stool, settling like a heavy weight being plopped onto the ground.

“Yeah, he’s okay, but our plans for the day were ruined. Regina had just agreed to let us have a day to hang out together-we were going to go to Avonlea to play laser tag and stuff ourselves with pizza. He always goes on about that place and I thought maybe we’d get to really talk about some things if we had a day like that.” Emma shoots Belle a smile before glancing back towards the slatted windows. “But then she decided that my business with someone else, which I’m pretty pissed about as well now that I know some truth… She said it was too ‘detrimental’ to Henry as a child and would be a terrible influence. Basically to sum it up, she said that I was a ‘wrecking ball’ to the kid and this entire town… So now he’s stuck at home with her tonight and here I am.”

“Are you going to be okay?” Belle tilted her head slightly, so she could better catch Emma’s eye’s, the green ones finally met her blue.

“I’m going to be fine, but I worry about him. Regina just… Doesn’t get that she’s strained her relationship with her own adopted kid so far. I know I don’t win any ‘parent’ of the year award since I can’t even be counted as a parent …” Emma shook her head and then set an elbow on the countertop, propping up her face with one hand. “He’s just so confused about who he is and if he fits in anywhere… I went through that feeling too and no kid should-Wow, normally I’m not one to let it all spill out like that. That offered drink is getting pretty tempting right about now.”

Ruby set her own palms down on the bar, looking a bit mischievous with the way her red lips turned up from the soft thin line they’d been before. “That gives me a great idea! What would you two say to a girls night at ‘The Rabbit Hole’ this Saturday night? It’s been a bit of shitty week for all of us so I say we’ve earned it.”

“Actually, I’m not much of a bar type of drinker.” Emma added.

“Nor am I unfortunately.” Belle chimed in, reminding Ruby of their various other attempts in the past that had not gone as well.

“And you’ve got a shift Saturday night or have you already forgotten?” Granny speaks up again and thus causes the wolf like girl to turn upon her palms and bear a tight frown.

“That’s alright, we can make it up sometime in the future Ruby. How about drinks at some one’s house instead though?” Belle says, while a ring chirps through the air from the delivery counter. Her lunch arrives in two bags thanks to another waitress and Belle thanks them while she sets herself down from her stool. 

“And I’m sure you’ll get another chance to spend time with Henry, you two can’t be kept from each other forever.” Belle pats Emma’s shoulders, giving the deputy a calm smile which seems to help soften ever so slightly the frown on her face. “Henry really does look happy to have you around, so don’t loose hope.”

Emma chuckles a bit then. “So if I need a guard to keep Ms. Mills at bay so we can have a day out I’ll know who to bother?”

“Sounds like a rough challenge but I can’t see why not.” Belle giggles and hoists her food to go.

“Oh! By the way Belle, you still owe me an explanation for what happened on Halloween. You never told me about the guy you left to hang out with.” Ruby suddenly pipes back in and Belle feels her cheeks fluster a bit-she’d thought Ruby would have forgotten about that by now. Not when it came to matters involving the opposite sex. “You can’t weasel out of it forever you know!”

“I didn’t know you had a boyfriend-I mean I haven’t seen you around with anyone when you’ve been out and about.” Emma states casually, though the wording she uses sends Belle’s heart into a flurry.

“No, we’re not dating or anything-we’re just friends.”

“Uh-huh.” Ruby gloats looking as smug as can be and Belle flusters a bit more.

“I promise I’ll explain it all over those drinks you’ve promised Ruby. Now take care you two!” Belle hurriedly attempts to escape to avoid further questions, not that she was trying to block out the thoughts on why her heart swelled at the idea of Rumplestiltskin being referred to as her boyfriend. Neither of them had no clue it was no normal guy they were talking about.

Besides, it wasn’t as if they could be dating or that he was even interested in her like that. Why would he be? She knew he truly had emotions and a human like heart in that metal body of his… But then why couldn’t there be a possibility the two of them could have feelings for one another? They had shared a real kiss after all, and Monday night had been the closest thing to a date, one she’d enjoyed immensely, she’d had in months. Augh!  _There was no time to think about this right now!_

The trio part on her goodbye’s and soon it was Belle’s turn to cause the door bell above to jingle with her exit. It’s still warm as it had been, though oddly she feels it almost warmer outside than in Granny’s when she’d first stepped inside.

And despite the the unfortunate things happening to everyone or so it seems, the flicker of hope still burned in her chest. Belle truly hoped Emma and Henry would get that much needed bonding time the two of them deserved. There was no way people could be kept apart when they wanted to be with each other, the heart was too strong to be stopped by anything.

Cora’s barb still stung to her displeasure as she made her way down the sidewalk. Each step somehow lodged those daggers for words further into her chest. Thoughts of loosing her father all thanks to the cruel mockery of Cora sent her worry into a fluster that took a bit to fight off. She wouldn’t let it get her though, one person wasn’t going to ruin her day.

As sure as their was breath in her lungs there would also be hope, and not just for her and Rumplestiltskin, but for her father, and for Emma and Henry as well.

————

By the time she arrived at her fathers shop with food in tow, Belle had begun to work back up some form of appetite that she’d loss in the diner. Mr. French himself seemed otherwise in a cheerier mood when she strolled into the shop, especially with some food as they ate their lunch. He was a bit irritated however, that he was more or less confined to his desk to work on much needed to do paper work than physical activity about the store. 

Seeing him already bouncing back after such a sudden surgery and threat to his life made her kind of look at him with a glimmer of awe. Then again stubbornness was a powerful thing, if she knew any better she might just think he’d will away any more ill against his healthy with his tenacity alone.

It was as the two of them were sorting out delivery notifications and scheduling for the upcoming week that Belle felt the need to talk about what had happened earlier that day. After all, Cora Mills seemed to know quite a bit about them both and more than Belle liked personally. She was curious to see if her father knew anything about why that might be.

“So, I met Ms. Mills today-well both of them actually.” Belle spoke up after they had finished talking about setting winter bouquets out in the fridges for later in the month. Paper shuffled between them, creating a scuffle of noise against the humming of the machinery in the front room. “I didn’t realize that they were both… Well, I can clearly see were Regina gets her ‘ferocity’ from that’s for sure.”

“Oh boy, yeah.” Her father laughed a bit, redding his cheeks from the humor he found in her words. “At least non mayor Mills is more laid back but Mayor Mills isn’t afraid to snap at anyone, even if they so much as look at her wrong.”

“She seemed to know quite a bit about us actually.”

“Hm?”

“I mean, she knew why we moved here after all, and it sounds like she knew plenty about you.”

“Why Cora Mills knows I’m not sure, I’ve only met that woman once-she doesn’t even live here in Storybrooke or so I’ve heard but… Well, you see, doing anything around a small town gets talked about as you already know. When I was desperate and pending for a loan word surely must have gotten around about our situation.” Her father looses a bit of luster but it bounces right back. “A buddy of mine who works in the Town Hall says nothing is kept secret there, everything comes and goes, so I can’t imagine Mayor Mills doesn’t know everything that goes on. Gesh, gives you the creeps doesn’t it?”

“It feels like Storybrooke is going to end up becoming the next place for the story of horror movie to take place when you talk like that. But while I might not totally see why Regina is so disliked, she did make a rather unfavorable scene in front of her son today. That’s not appropriate at all no matter how you slice it… I feel for Henry.”

“Yeah, he’s a good kid. He’s come in here before and gotten flowers for his teachers, he’s bright kind little guy no doubt.” 

A piece of paper gets crumpled up and thrown into the trash to join the excess growing there. It looks as if the two of them are at least making some head way through the mess that has grown in her fathers office.

“He goes to Avonlea all the time as well from what I hear, makes me wish I worked during the day too so I could keep in touch with him. It never hurts to have a ‘guardian’ of sorts to watch over you as a kid.” Belle smiles knowingly as she sorts through more papers, eyeing some envelopes that haven’t quite been opened yet that had amassed into a pile beneath a ledger. One with a printed address immediately catches her eye and makes her glance up at her father quickly.

“Dad? How come you haven’t opened this letter from the doctor yet?”

“I didn’t realize I had one, it must have gotten mixed up in the business mail.” He falters while Belle begins to tear it open to pull out the letter. It crinkles in her hands while she smooths out the slight bent but her eyes rove over it quickly, absorbing the important information with each flick.

 “Oh geez, Dad, they rescheduled your appointment for your liver testing! That had to move it up because they’re worried from the samples Storybrooke Hospital gave them. It’s going to be on Tuesday of next week. Crap, I needed to ask for some time off since we’ll be up in Boston over night.”

Belle sighs, feeling more of that hope she trots about with slip from within her grasp. It wasn’t a good sign that the doctors over in the Boston hospital felt they had to bump up his testing to so much sooner. 

Mr. French snagged the letter from his daughters hands, looking rather off put as he began to read it for himself. “Don’t worry about it Blue-Belle, I can get one of my buddies to take me up there you don’t have to-”

She shakes her head and then begins to shuffle all the unwanted papers to throw away as she got up. “No, I’d feel much better if I was the one who took you, just incase anything happens… Let me go over to Avonlea and explain to Mr. Getto. It’ll be better if I do it in person than over the phone, since I’ve already asked for so much time off. It’d be bad of me to just drop him a voice mail.”

Belle gathers her purse and starts moving towards the coat wrack, tugging on her puffy coat with haste. It was hard to get herself to calm down suddenly and she had to still herself just to remind herself to take the extra necessary breaths all humans required. A soft intake in and out several times over soothed the worry that had begun to settle in. It wasn’t like her to feel this way-but everything was coming back in one giant mess inside her stomach.

It felt as if what the Cora Mills had said earlier was coming back to mock her even further, twisting and grinding the dagger it’d struck between her ribs in perverse delight.

If her father’s testing was being pushed up so fast, how bad was it going to get for the two of them? Were the doctors really that worried that had to get him in immediately?

The scuffle of a chair behind her told her that her father was getting up so she tried to regain control, keeping bay a tear that wanted to escape. As she turned to tell him that everything was going to be alright, he approached with a bouquet of soft blue delphinium, white lilies and adorable yellow roses that had been sitting on an adjacent shelf, holding out the random glass vase for her to take. Belle raises an eyebrow at her father as she wasn’t sure what he was exactly meaning by this.

He rolled his eyes-as if he was the one in this situation who should be. If he’d just open his mail on time they wouldn’t be in this pickle. “Well then if I’ve caused a lot of trouble you might as well lessen the blow to Mr. Getto and take him some flowers. If I recall right Dr. Hoppers mentioned that Marco likes lilies… Well his wife had.”

“I guess it wouldn’t hurt… Oh, what am I going to do with you. You’re not causing trouble by the way, just open your mail before you toss it about with the rest of your stuff.” The young woman scolded her father, letting a reassuring smile reach her lips as she takes the glass vase from his hands. The soft scent of the flowers reaches her nose and soothes the unease that had begun to eat away her insides.

“Belle, if I’m getting in the way of you needing to do what you want to do, I won’t feel bad if you decide to move back to Boston.”

Her gaze swivels back up to her father and those bright blue eyes blink several times in honest confusion. The comment had been as unexpected as the recent news, by the looks on his face though he was as serious as can be. There lay no humor in the lines of his face, in fact there was a hint of… Sadness, a knowing sadness that went deeper in meaning than words could ever say.

“Dad, you’re not getting in the way of what I want, I want to be here to help you.” Her voice nearly cracks. It’s been so many years since she’s sounded like a child to the man who has raised her and this is the closest moment she’s had in a long time. “I might move away when you get better and back to your old self, but not till then, okay?”

“Let’s be honest Belle we don’t know if I’ll be getting better.”

“Don’t say things like that, you just started therapy after all-and you survived a heart attack! Nothing is going to stop you so long as you try.” Belle feels her fingers threatening to nearly break the glass resting in their grip. Memories of her mother began to filter back through and it scared her how much this was starting to feel like then. “You better not give up because I’m sure as hell not going to give up on you.”

“I’m not giving up… I’m just trying to prepare you if the worst is to happen. We don’t know what’s wrong and I want to make sure you’re taken care of after I’m gone-whenever that is. I’m trying to last as long as I can, after all I was hoping to see some grandkids someday.” He smiles slightly, giving a soft guffaw of laughter that nearly has a tear peel out of her eye. “Alright, I’m not going to keep you any longer, get going. If the worst happens and Mr. Getto fires you, that part time position I’m opening here can be yours.”

Belle leans in and kisses her fathers cheek rather quickly before stepping back and tucking her nose to the flowers once more.

“I’m already working here practically part time, so I’ll figure something else out if the worst happens-but you better keep working on getting out you need hired help this weekend, okay?”

“Alright, I promise. I’ll get someone before January. Take care today.” He turns from her, heading back to his mess of a desk within his office. Belle heads towards the front door, stepping back into the sunshine that is starting to wane even later to the evening hours approaching. With a glance she looked back to the flower shop from the outside window, seeing the shape of her father going about to his phone and nearly stumbling thanks to a set of folders right at the desks edge.

“That’d be him, he’d die by tripping over a book before any heart attack could ever get him.” She hums to herself while taking her path down the sidewalk once more.

It’s what she clings to the entire time-the scraps of optimistic thinking that keep getting nearly torn from within the spaces of her weary fingers. She had to keep chanting over and over again, to ensure in her soul that there was no time yet to give in-there never was. Good things would come there way surely…

She just had to keep holding onto the hope that burned in a dim tiny spark within her chest.

—————

The purr of the small cars engine died down once Belle had parked right behind Avonlea. Quickly, she unbuckled herself, hoisted the glass vase arrangement of flowers and got out of her car, closing the hunk of metal door with a ‘CLUNK’, before darting towards the back entrance of the building. Her keys fumbled in the door as she entered, and she returned them to her purse as she closed the back door behind her.

It was always odd coming into Avonlea during the day and this was no exception. The noises of people going about and scurrying along with the faint tune of singing was such an odd contrast to the sound of isolation that lurked there at night. It made her happy to see this place at least bustling with life in comparison to the hollowness that haunted it otherwise. Though, she did happen to enjoy the night time more than the day for her own special reasons of course-one human shaped reason with glowing eyes and was surely sleeping in his secret room right this very second.

Belle pondered if she should visit Rumplestiltskin since she was here, but the amount of employees surging from one of the private party rooms told it was best not to. So instead of entering the maintenance room door as she passed by she looked at it fondly, and much for herself, blew a kiss to the unknowing being resting beyond the walls. 

As the security guard turned and made way towards Mr. Getto’s office to request her sudden need for time off again, which at this point had her wondering why he wasn’t getting fed up with her reoccurring issues working the night shift (to which she then recalled the fact she was the only security guard he could even keep for that matter), she bumped into the man himself.

He’d been emerging from his office just as she was making her way towards it and looked a bit suprised at her sudden appearance. A phone was being held to the side of his head and he brought it down and clasped a hand over it as he spoke to her.

“Oh my-Ms. French a very sudden surprise. I didn’t even hear you walking down the hall.”

“Oops, my bad. I must have gone into night guard mode.” Belle blushes a bit, realizing that even in her high heels she’s become stealthier than before, which makes her laugh just as equally much. “I came to talk to you but I don’t mean to interrupt your call.”

“That’s alright,” He hummed, looking as pleased as always, especially as he studied the bouquet in the nook of her arm. He indeed liked lilies from that grin. “I can be with you in just a moment, I’m having an issue with a delivery that should have been here today.”

“Oh it’s nothing big,” Belle quickly spoke, as not to bother him too much further. “It’s just I have to request a night off next week for a surgery my dad forgot to mention. He has to go to Boston for a medical test and he’ll have to stay there over night so I won’t be able to come in… Also, he thought bringing you some flowers would be his form of apologies.”

“He didn’t have to do that but they’re very lovely, send him my thanks when you see him. As for your time off you need just write it down on a note in my office and I’ll get to fixing your schedule. Oh-there’s also a bit of a mess in my office so just mind your step.”

“Thank you!” Belle beamed as Mr. Getto nodded before walking past her and going back to his conversation-which seemed to be a heated debate about the necessary amount of napkins and condiments he ordered that Avonlea was in desperate need of. Belle shook her head slightly, hoping him the best in his endeavor before strolling into his office with vase in tow. Upon entering Belle could clearly see his desk, which was usually so organized and maintained, was as he said-a mess, as well as the floor around it. Already today she’d had her own fair share of dealing with paper work so attempting to maneuver around the files set on the ground with a glass object in her hands was a rather tiring task.

One of his tall metal cabinets, the kind that could be open with a key, had it’s bottom drawer open and had nearly taken her out when she first failed to notice it. Belle reacted quick enough to save herself, leaving her to stumble into the desk and manage to set the bouquet down without any unnecessary destruction. 

‘I hope I can leave this note and escape this place without breaking my legs.’ She thought with bitter sarcasm when she rightened herself.

With a pen and a sticky note, Belle wrote out her needed day off for next week and slapped it right onto the top part of Mr. Getto’s computer screen. Other cluttered sticky notes seemed to be gathered around so she hoped her message would make it through.

With her quest completed Belle began to maneuver back around the mess surrounding her. She was curious as to why all of this was even necessary, for it seemed to just be assorted stored information, from things in manilla folders, to big ring folders stuffed to the brim as well as accounting books. Her blue eyes wandered over the files labeled with scrawling print that was clearly no one else but Mr. Getto’s, reading what bits of names and titles she could manage.

One folder caught her eye from within the metal cabinet. The writing was unlike Mr. Getto’s, it was clear, concise, and hand printed with big fat letters with red sharpie.

Her heart stopped in her chest and she did a double take.

This folder she could hardly see, stuffed in the back of the drawer read ‘ZOSO’.

Those blue eyes in the young woman’s head widened immensely, stuck on those four red letters that she’d seen several times before.

Right before her, as if fated, was something that might hold answers that she and Rumplestiltskin had been looking for. Mr. Getto had something that could give insight into the mystery around the animatronic and his origins, and this entire time it had been right here, hidden away out of plain sight.

Belle tucked her lip between her teeth as she tried to figure out just exactly what she should do. This was clearly not something meant for her to just open and read without a care in the world. Her boss had this locked up in this cabinet for some reason, his ring of keys was always on his person so it wasn’t as if anyone could get in at any time. 

Surely he’d start to figure out just what it is she was up to if she was to just attempt to read it here in the spare time she has.

Quickly Belle glanced back to the door frame, straining her ears to hear the sounds about and down the hallways. It was too confusing to make out exactly where anyone specifically was. If he were to wander back in as she was getting into the file she could endanger Rumplestiltskin even further than he already was by staying here.

‘I can’t let this opportunity just pass me. I have no right to look inside that folder, but… Rumplestiltskin does.’ Belle thought, her hand gripping the strap of her purse a tad bit tighter.

As of late it seems her acting on impulse has only caused more trouble than good-then again in the end it seemed to turn out for the best… But no matter what the consequence for this might be she just can’t let this slide. Who knows when she and Rumplestiltskin would get another opportunity such as this.

So she decides to do the brave and risky thing, however foolish it might be.

Belle bends down as fast and quietly as she can, and digs through the drawer till she grasps the ‘ZOSO’ folder. Despite being only paper and thick card stock she feels a chill go up her spine when she touches it. Instantly she withdraws it from it’s home, from the random assort files it’s been tucked away with for god knows how long. Desperately she wants to open it right then and there, she wanted to peel away the age and secrets coating it, seeing for herself what lays inside.

However, as she stares and shifts the heavy folder something drops from within and clatters against the floor.

Belle nearly yelps as she jumps from where she was kneeling and glances down to the object that has come to rest against her foot. It’s easy to identify and immediately her heart fluctuates. It’s an old VHS tape with a white label that is starting to peel from the top of it, written upon with the scrawling writing of Marco on said label.

It read, ’01-A MODEL/RUMPLESTILTSKIN INSTILLATION’.

‘A home movie about his instillation?’ Belle grabs the tape and holds it in her grip, trying to understand just what it was exactly that possibly was lurking inside the black strips of film. ‘Why would there be a tape about that? Unless it was important to Mr. Getto do so. He could have just filmed it for memories sake… But, then why would he keep it all these years if he’s tried to remove all evidence of Rumplestiltskin ever being here like he has done?’

The thoughts in her head are a whirlwind, flinging themselves far and wide inside the confines of her mind. Yet, they quickly fall apart when she hears the ‘clap’ of footsteps start to echo near the office door.

Belle falters, but in her panicked state she manages to tuck the VHS with the folder underneath the pit of her arm within her coat. Hurriedly she moves towards the door and sees it’s only another employe headed towards the private bathrooms. The security guard gives a small wave awkwardly with her tucked up arm to them as they wave back. When they disappear beyond the women’s bathroom door, a heavy sigh of relief escapes her chest.

After that all Belle does is keep walking, with arms stiffly held around her waist and a normal smile carried about on her lips. Yet she doesn’t stop for anything, not by the maintenance room, nor her office, she just keeps going straight on her path till she’s out the back.

Once the door behind her closes with the click of familiarity she finally exhales the breath she’s been holding.

Still, Belle wastes no time getting to her car and quickly hopping inside. Her gaze scans around the parking lot but finds it empty and void of other people so her pounding heart finally starts to lower its raging beat.

Thoughts of all sorts began to enter through her mind as she tried to maintain a composed track of thought. ‘I didn’t think about how I’m going to get it back to him before I took everything! I should have left the empty folder. No time to worry about the consequences right now, after all there is nothing I can do at the moment. Calm yourself, Belle.’ She took a deep breath and let the quiet outside help sooth the nervousness back down. ‘Tonight you and Rumple can form a strategy, a way to get the information back into it’s proper place without Marco knowing…’

Then she recollects why her arms are getting tired and she’s gripping them so tightly to herself.

Belle takes out the tape and aged manilla folder from underneath the inner part of her coat. With added relief it looks like she didn’t drop anything at all or lost papers along the way, both pieces were still fully intact.

Despite having calmed the sight of these two things in her grasp sends her heart pounding again. It doesn’t pound with fear though, nor worry, nor nervousness-in fact it makes her grin. Right now that small flame of hope in her chest has ignited beyond all control.

’In my hands could be the answers Rumplestiltskin has been looking for!’

Gently her fingers curl around the spine of the folder, inching near the name of ‘ZOSO’ scrawled on the tab sticking out of it.

Tonight, for there was no way she’d read it by herself-it wasn’t her place nor right to do so, Belle would bring this folder and tape back to let Rumplestiltskin choose what to do with it. This was all about his ‘life’, and it could possibly have information within about things he has still refused to share with her about. The incident nearly twenty five years ago might be fully explained within… Or why Rumplestiltskin was taken off the stage right before then. Perhaps they’ll find out who exactly brought him here to Avonlea in the first place.

Belle wasn’t sure, maybe this was nothing more than documents containing business information such as sales cost or repair invoices. Still, there was the tape left though and there had to be something critical in the folder if it was worth saving to Mr. Getto.

Feeling exposed from within her car, Belle quickly set the objects aside in the empty passenger seat and started the vehicle up. It’s purr came back to life in it’s usual grumbles along with the gear shift as Belle maneuvered the wheel and began to drive away. A steeled gaze crossed her eyes, her features rippling with her determination to get home as safely as possible with such risky items besides her, though perhaps no one else might notice the actual value they had.

‘Tonight.’ She thought while tightening her fingers about the steering wheel as she concentrated on the road flashing by. Though every temptation to glance at the folder in the seat beside her was eating away at her control. ‘Tonight, Rumplestiltskin is finally going to have access to such things he always should have. Possibly his first step to knowing where he is from…  _Maybe_ , just maybe, we might be able to find his maker with this information… And perhaps we’ll be able to get access to fixing him properly so he can leave Avonlea. He can come home with me when he doesn’t have to worry about hurting anyone ever again.’

It was hopeful and yet logical thinking, the kind Ms. French was known for. She was a notorious optimist most of the time and right now was no different than any other time she’s faced. Belle had seen and gone through looming darkness plenty enough before and so she wasn’t afraid of this-though the weight of everything had begun creeping upon her shoulders. This was bigger than beyond anything she thought she’d be dealing with by having a job as a security guard for a family fun center.

It’d be alright, it had to be, they’d both gain some answers-whatever they could manage to grasp from what lay inside those papers and reel of film.

Belle drove home with excitement written about her features, happily awaiting tonight to share her discovery with her dearest friend.

Yet, even with her courageous heart and Rumplestiltskin’s desires, neither of them would be properly ready for the world of horrors they were about to find themselves plunging into.


	18. Chapter 18

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Belle returns to Avonlea with the mysterious folder and tape in hand, ready to help Rumplestiltskin possibly figure out anything of his origins that lurk within. Though both of them are afraid of what might be revealed or what might become of them because of this, they decide to face it together-hoping to peel back the mystery surrounding Zero-One A.
> 
> Yet, more than just some of Rumplestiltskin’s past is brought to light…

This evening truly felt as if it was going to be the longest night in Belle’s entire life.

Right now the time from her cellphone read it was only a little after ten at night, meaning she had two more hours to go before her shift at Avonlea even started, but it was taking every ounce of her strength not to bolt out the door and leave already.

Belle found her heart was still pounding away beneath her rib cage when she placed her hand upon her chest even now, measuring the spare seconds between each frantic beat. It had been like that all day, ever since she had stopped by Avonlea at least. How one little trip to ask for a day off ended up so differently than she imagined-she hadn’t the slightest clue. The security guard had gone inside her work place with nothing but good intentions and then had intentionally ended up stealing from her employer.

‘It’s not really stealing if it contains information that rightfully belongs to someone else and I’m only giving it to them.’ Belle tried to reason as a tired flicker of smile appeared across her lips.

At this very moment, the young woman was seated upon her big comfy couch with her legs nestled up to her chin as she stared hard at the two stolen items upon her coffee table. There they both sat, the manilla folder with the tab reading ‘ZOSO’ in bright red ink and the VHS tape. Those curious blue eyes of hers roved over both of the objects, jumping between the two as her mind whirled about the mystery that lay right before her.

It would be so easy to let herself go, to let the insatiable curiosity brimming up within her tiny body have it’s way and just spill open the secrets that lay within her grasp. The thought is tempting, so much so that Belle’s hands twitch as they hold on tightly to her legs in hopes to not bare free and do as they want. Instead, the auburn haired beauty shakes her head at herself, willing away the desire to go against her word and the promises she’s made to her dearest friend.

She can’t… She can’t look into these things without Rumplestiltskin beside her or his complete permission. The guilt of such a careless action would be terrible, she knows this. The agony would be even worse if she were to look inside without a care for his desires and then bring it to him to find him begging her not to look within in fear of what she might find out.

With a heavy sigh the beauty lets go of her legs and flops back to lay her head down upon the arm rest of the couch. Thick locks of lengthy brown hair spill over the side, fanning out around the pale of her face like a grand display to reveal the concern driven into her features.

She’s bothered by one of the worries she finds growing within as she awaits for the snail like time to move by in her small apartment.

‘Rumple might not want me to know what lays inside these two items…’ Belle thought amongst the storm of speculation going on inside her head. There were so many things that could be explained beneath the paper and film of plastic, things that occurred so long ago and she could easily figure out why he’d possibly not want her looking within them.

It was his choice though. She’d already once broke her vow of protecting his privacy and she swore to herself that she’d never do such a brash thing to him ever again. All the security guard could do was hope that he would share anything about his origins he felt he could if he chose not to let her join him in revealing what lay in that folder or upon that VHS tape.

She hoped with all her heart that he would at least share any bit that might help her help him.

‘Would it be so wrong if we don’t look into the folder-either of us?’ The gentle quiet voice rises up and reasons with her, stealing her attention from all other pondering. Belle quirked a brow in response to the thought, for she hadn’t stopped to consider why that might be best. Slowly she lets the thought take away her focus from her locked on stare at the two objects since she was afraid they were going to somehow disappear at any given second if she happened to look away.

‘What if you or him find out something… Horrible? Or what if Rumple learns something that could be devastating? It might not be so bad to just let things remain the way they are. Think about it. What if it changes him beyond who he is, or what if you loose him because of this…’

It made sense. These worries were possibilities not beyond the improbable, but each one frightened her more than the last.

“But he has the right to know, it’s his life, not mine and certainly not anyone else’s to decide for him. Without a doubt he’s just the same as a human underneath all of that metal he lives in, and I… I’d want to know about my self too if I were in his shoes, anything at all.” The beauty speaks out loud, letting her words stretch through the quiet of her living room into the rest of her apartment.

Belle made her choice then and there, denying the fear based reasoning that had risen up within her head and casting it out before it could try to chip away at what she knew was right. Even if she knew somehow ahead of time she was going to loose Rumplestiltskin because of this or find him changing his entire perspective and person, she wouldn’t stop herself from handing the items over to him.

No matter what happened tonight Belle was going to stand by his side or leave it if he asked that of her. It was what she felt she owed him after all-for she recalled all the nights she had called him as of late, how he listened to her sobbing, let her talk freely without having to hold back out of shame, and spoke with her hours on end just to comfort her worried mind. All the kind reassuring words he has given her these last few months come flooding back as well as all the care and kindness he bestowed upon her when it appears he has so ‘little’ to truly give, which is of course not true. Sure he could be prickly-or hurtful, still even now with how close they’ve become, but she sees behind that faux beastly mask he wears to keep the world at bay.

To think someone like him who had been abandoned entirely by his own creators, owners, and humans alike gave up his little bit of spare space and life to welcome her into it. He could have easily kept trying to run her off, nor cared a wink about her at all, but he did when she was a scared lonely kid that had broken into Avonlea to cry over her mother and he does care for her just as she is right now as an adult-though try all he might to not appear to.

He matters so much to her too, enough so that even if she lost his friendship, which would devastate her more than anything has in such a long time, she wouldn’t keep this from him.

Belle would be true as his friend, as his companion, confident, and because…

Because she was…

Gently Belle reaches her arms toward her face and presses the palms of her hands against her eyes, trying to sever and keep from seeing what she was beginning to unravel before her sight. It’d been there for a while now, this dangerous beautiful thing, but she’d kept such possibilities at bay as long as she could. Being forced to face the brutal thought of loosing Rumplestiltskin was making it swell within her chest, making her swear that if she kept it in too much longer it would burst through and expose itself to him on it’s own.

Belle took to being lionhearted and courageous as she tried to be when faced with anything new or even frightening, but this was one of the few things she was not so sure if she could be brave about.

However, there was too much else she needed to focus upon right now, so the feelings brimming up in her heart and burning against her skin were tucked away. As for how long they would stay buried she didn’t know.

“I’ve had enough with the waiting, I can’t take it anymore!” Belle groaned to herself, finally throwing her hands up in a pathetic signal of defeat before they flopped back down to the cushions.

Finally her patience had run out and Belle was jumping up from her couch, forgoing even glancing at her cell phone as she went about. Belle walked into her room to change into her uniform which was laid neatly folded in preparation upon her bed as it usually was. The alarm clock sitting faithfully by on her end table had hardly shifted it’s led lights once she had finished buttoning her new white shirt and adjusting her bow tie, but the young woman brushed it off. She was no longer counting on time to help her out.

Once she was done tucking her hair back into the hold of a pony tail, Belle remerged into her living room and looked over to her phone in a sudden compulsion.

Yet, it was still just where she left it and there was nothing out of the ordinary about it.

It was odd though, for some reason Belle felt as if someone had to have called her, but when she went and checked her phone there was no message alerting her that she missed one or that someone left a voice message. Her brows rose slightly in her own bout of confusion over the odd worrisome feeling creeping up over her back. Yet, with a shrug of her shoulders she pushed it aside when she tucked the phone into the pocket of her grey slacks.

Once her coat had been buttoned up, as the night’s were growing severely cold these last few days with winter dawning, Belle picked up the VHS and folder to stuff into her purse. With both items secured Belle moved to her door and turned her living room lights off, glancing once behind her back into the empty shadows of her spacious apartment.

It looked so hollow, and more so than just because it was dark and she was leaving it completely vacant of her presence.

Avonlea and her apartment were more alike than she had realized when the sudden reflection crossed her mind and bright blue eyes. Belle didn’t wait to ponder further about it-why waste precious time on an idea as silly as that?

The security guard simply turned, closed the door after, and locked her place up before darting down the steps above the library to get to her car. The cool night air met her face in a jarring brush across her flesh but was much appreciated. It’s chilly bite helped keep her mind on track and far from the other things that were wanting to reveal themselves tonight or so it seemed.

With a grumbling start her car came to life, puttering off and down the dimly lit roads, leading her to Avonlea while her heart continued to race off in anticipation of what was to come.

—————

She was an entire hour early to her shift, but the young woman didn’t even blink an eye at the time she wouldn’t be getting paid for. Money, her worries beyond Avonlea, all of that didn’t mean anything to her right now. All that mattered to the tiny person named Belle French was making it to her job without crashing her speedy car in her desperate haste to get there.

However, she realized she was probably going a little too fast when she had to hit the breaks and slow down for a kid dashing across the street. So she went about the rest of her drive a  _little bit_  more cautiously.

The slight crunch of her tires came to an end when she pulled up into Avonlea’s parking lot, stopping her little white car in it’s usual place before making a dash for the building. Belle stood before the door and fumbled with her keys as a breath of air visibly rose from her mouth disappearing into the icy black sky. The nippy air was making her ever so thankful for her fluffy but warmly padded coat. Along with the cold settling in her numbing fingers Belle felt too jittery to handle the ring of keys properly and thus made her eager born frustration grow.

Finally she managed to get them in the door knob properly.

Swiftly stepping inside the back end of the building, as she did nearly every night, Belle locked it back up, disarmed and rearmed the alarm, then made a break for her office.

‘Wait! I’m way early! Rumple will have no clue I’m even here yet.’ Belle realized in her hurrying and thus slowed down her frantic boots till she was walking with only the ever so slight patter of her steps against the tiled floor.

“Rumple! Where are you? I need to see you!” Belle called out, cupping a gloved hand near her mouth as her squinted eyes darted about in the thick darkness around her. Since it was only eleven the animatronic man would probably just be wandering about the building or settled in his hideout to peacefully read a lent book as he claimed he normally did when he enjoyed his almost one hour alone.

The security guard padded down the hall and up to the maintenance room, peaking inside but finding no glowing eyes lurking there. Going and peeking inside the break room had the same results. There was no sight of the mechanical imp sitting at a table or tending (or rambling as he sometimes did) to the small cactus that sat round and fat in it’s little orange pot. Belle took a moment to check the plant before continuing on and was pleased. It had been watered and very recently by the touch of the wet soil against her prodding finger tips.

Rumplestiltskin couldn’t be too far off.

Belle returned to the hall, tending to the bag that was slapping against her leg with the sway of her hips. Speedily the organ in her chest began to pound, recalling the important items that lay beneath the leather and fabric beside her, enough to almost distract her from the presence entering the hall.

Clack. Clack. Clack.

“Hhmmmm-hmmm-HhHhHhh-hmmmmm-hm-hmmmm-hmmm!”

The the ever faint sound of ‘clacking’ was caught by her sensitive ears, though they caught onto the low humming sound just as well. The echo of the odd little tune and foot falls turned her back down towards the other end of the corridor near her office and the private party rooms.

“Rumple are you there?” Belle called out before sighing in relief when she caught the sight of familiar movement just a bit beyond her. Even now, over a month later, she was still a bit frightened at the thought of someone else besides the two of them lurking inside Avonlea, but so long as he was near she felt ‘she’ had nothing to worry about.

“Belle? Is that you?”

“Hold on! Let me get to you, I don’t have my flashlight!”

“ _What are you-_ ” She can practically hear the squeak of confusion in his sometimes silly high pitched voice. “Dearest, is my internal clock off or are you here really early tonight?”

Rumplestiltskin’s words echoed to her from down the hallway, alerting her to his exact location if the floating yellow glowing spheres appearing within the dark hadn’t already. Belle couldn’t help but rush over to him, her boots hardly felt as if they touched the ground with the way she flew. His features became clearer in the dark when she was practically on top of him, and his face turned from a confused look to one of utter surprise with his agape jaw.

“Rumple!” Belle chirped, tossing her arms over his shoulder and about his neck, pulling him towards her while nearly letting all of her weight go. Though quite suprised, the animatronic was sturdy and kept the two of them upright as his own arms wrapped snuggly around her waist. For a moment in his grip her face was caught up in his vest lapels and part of his coat, letting her take in the faint scent around him-a mix of leather, ‘clean cotton’ laundry detergent, and a bit of oil that was pleasant to her sense of smell.

“What has gotten into you? You act like you haven’t seen me in years when it’s been less than twenty four hours! A-Are you alright?”

Belle can’t help but look up at him with a hopeful look slathered about her features. Seeing his face sends a wriggling sensation into her stomach, the good kind, thus brightening her smile even further and causing his lips to tick at the corner of his mouth. Gently she released her arms from about his neck, though she let her hands slip beneath his coat to grip at the sturdy collar of his orange vest. His eyes instantly flashed down to her hands, flicking about in their sockets as he was seemingly lost at her actions.

“I’m completely fine, but I’ll admit that I am just a ‘bit’ too excited to see you tonight…” Heat flooded to her cheeks at her admittance, and Belle swore the small delight she saw flittering across twitches of his faux flesh made her excited heart leap up into the top of her ribs. If he kept looking at her like that, with that smile that was all his own, it would be enough to make her draw forward without hesitation and… Kiss him again.

The flush blossomed further across her face while she grew alarmed at how much she truly was wanting to try kiss him more than ever. All the thoughts and feelings she has just tried to keep buried over an hour ago were already seeping back to the top, threatening to spill out all these emotions that not even she was sure were absolutely ‘real’ or not.

Rumplestiltskin was more than a machine in her heart and mind, but that didn’t change that he wasn’t physically a human-nor would she change that aspect about him. Everything he has gone through in his ‘life’ has shaped him into who he is, and she finds her fondness for him goes far beyond the metal exoskeleton to that wonderful spirit and soul that she knows exists behind it all. Still, she should have no natural urge to slant her mouth against his, hear that desperate gasp of need from him, or feel the way her heart does pounding in her chest with a simple touch from his cold plated hands.

Yet she does, and it’s starting to become something more worrisome and exhilarating than she ever could imagine, but now was not the time to think about such things. Somehow Belle managed to quell her urges to pull herself up upon her toes to softy kiss her animatronic companion and instead focused on what she must do.

“Rumplestiltskin, I have something huge to share with you, and I promise I’ll explain everything in detail once we settle down in my office.” She begins, capturing his attention with her soft words and full use of his name. “There’s one thing I need before that though. I’m going to need a VHS player, if you happen to know if Avonlea has one, which I can’t imagine you wouldn’t know. I myself have no clue, but it’s extremely important we find one.”

“A VHS player? Now why would you require such an old technology as that? I didn’t think people even used video tapes anymore.” Rumplestiltskin blinked owlishly down at her, though he sounded merely amused by her sudden and random whim than concerned.

“They don’t actually, that’s why I need your help to find one. I-I found something big, something incredibly huge that could change everything and… No, that’s not right. I’m going to be completely honest right from the get go.” Belle tugged at his way ward collar just a bit before she continued, feeling the shame from her actions finally settle in now that he was about to hear it. “I stole some items from Mr. Getto the other day.”

For one moment his eyes grew wide and alarmed and then the next his metal eye lids narrowed, looking at her more suspicious and confused than ever before. Once again Belle felt sheepish underneath his intense gaze. She should have known he would not approve of her doing such a thing especially if it came down to Avonlea, after all it was the very opposite of her job as a security guard here, and she knew how much protecting this place meant to him.

“What exactly did you take Belle and why? Are you going to be in trouble with Marco? D-do you need to hide it?” His flurry of questions took her by surprise this go around. She had been expecting some snappy remarks or grumbling about her breaking the set rules, being such a ‘dishonorable knight’, but none of the sort come from the crackle of his voice. “I don’t know what I can do to help but-”

When she realized she’d need to calm him in order to continue their conversation properly Belle freed one of her hands to brush her thumb against his soft lips-and such soft lips they were…

Instantly the voice that was rumbling away in his metal throat died down to nothing.

“Once you find a VHS player, come to my office. I’ll be there waiting for you.” Her instructions were clear, and Belle knew from the look in his eyes he understood what she was asking of him, as scary as it might be. Trust.

“Fine-fine, dearest! I’ll be right back before you know it. I know where an old TV with a built in tape player is. I’ll go and get it  _alllllllllll_  on my lonesome.” The animatronic trilled a bit nervously, pulling her hand down away from his jaws as he peered back at her with that theatrical wild grin. “But I expect you to be right where you said you’re going to be, no making me have to chase you down now.”

“I promise I’ll be right where I said I was going to be, unless you do need help with that TV, it might be too much trouble for my weary sorcerer to handle.”

“Oh trust me on this one my noble knight, you’re better off waiting for me than getting in my way. I might trip over you all the way down there!” The imp teased quickly before bouncing away from her on flighty steps of his heeled boots.

Belle sighed a bit tiredly and happily as she watched him stroll through his domain, looking as blended in as ever within the whimsical mishmash of reality and fantasy in the world of Avonlea. Even though this building was so vast and open, empty of the vibrant life the day light hours held, it seemed more whole than her apartment ever did, even in the dead of night.

As she watched her mechanical man disappear once again into the mouth of the dark, leaving her alone in the soft creaking of the lightless hallway, Belle laughed to herself under her breath. The security guard knew all along now why she felt so much more at peace here than anywhere else, against every terrible memory the two of them had trapped in-between these walls.

It wasn’t Avonlea now that the past had come to light. It was because part of her ‘home’ was currently rattling and humming his silly one of a kind song off in the distance.

—————

The sound of ‘clacking’ rings down the hall, awakening Belle back from her drifting thoughts with each ‘clack’ drawing nearer.

She doesn’t know what’s worse, waiting for Rumple’s footsteps to draw closer or hearing the own pounding beat of her heart grow louder between her ears with each ‘clack’ of his steps.

“I had to take it from the back of storage,  _but-_ I found the TV I was after.” His voice impishly flitters through the air, followed by one whole eerie giggle as he emerged from the ominous dark mouth of the door way into her office.

“Good grief! You really carried that all the way over here!” Belle blurted upon seeing the enormous old CRT TV that Rumplestiltskin had hoisted in the girth of his arms. It was absurdly large, the kind that was normally propped up on a wheeled stand and pushed around-so much so that the animatronic had to turn it sideways to even manage to enter the room. However, Rumplestiltskin just looked at her with a smirk and waggle of his split rigged eyebrows (clearly oozing pride) then easily set the hunk of old technology down on the floor against the only empty wall in the room.

Belle got up from the couch, approaching and looking his item over, finding there was a built in VHS slot and play back buttons to operate it.

“Good work, it’ll do just fine, so long as you agree we watch the tape that is.” Belle murmured a bit quietly, keeping to looking at the dark but reflective screen instead of at her companion. However, he was visible from the TV’s screen, if a bit distorted from the contour of the surface that stretched his features, and she could see the confusion return as well as what she could only describe as… Hurt.

“Belle… Tell me please, what did you do? Why would you take something from Marco?” He asks in that low voice that is far from the usual trickster his programming makes him parade around as. Their eyes meet in the TV, and Belle can’t stop the thumping going on in her ribcage-threatening to give away just the magnitude that lays right within her purse or perhaps even worse, in the core of her chest.

“I came into Avonlea yesterday evening.” Belle starts, standing up and turning so she could properly face the green gold face that turned to stare back. Yes, she sees a bit of hurt lingering in the shine of his spherical eyes but there is understanding and the flicker of trust. “My father got a letter from the hospital he’s registered with in Boston. They had moved up the date for some medical testing that will require him to stay over night, so I felt I had to properly ask Mr. Getto for another night off.”

“Is your father going to be alright?” Rumplestiltskin asks, taking her mind off the folder and tape within her purse, though it hardly lessens the nervousness building in her chest. Belle recalls her fathers words, the alarming things he said yesterday in the light of his flower shop that still have not withered away with her usual hopeful optimism.

The imp’s shoulders ‘clack’ a bit as they adjust with his arms and his hands softly twirl about in the air in their usual flighty manner. “I know moving a date closer isn’t always a good sign, though I’m no expert in your human health businesses… Perhaps it’s for the best though. Maybe it’ll be just what you need to help him catch something before it possibly gets worse… Ah, that’s not exactly what I was meaning to say, but-”

He’s about as lost as her now by the trailing titter ebbing out of his throat, but she is warmed that he is concerned enough about her and her father that he genuinely needs to ask such things.

“I understand what you meant, and you’re right. It is just some testing. They might find nothing at all… Thank you though, Rumple.” Belle smiles a bit more at him, genuinely touched by his attempts to cheer her up. He’s as shy as ever still behind the imp’s facade, looking as if to say something with his slightly moving lips but only fiddling with his hands silently instead.

The urge to reach out her hand and take his own in it is growing as steadily as the urge to kiss him is at this point. However, holding his hand is something she feels much more confident about enacting, and so she holds out her palm just then to him as an offering.

He instantly glances down to the pale appendage with a trace of fear clouding his eyes. This look reminds her of how just last night he’d turned from her in a fit of visible terror directed towards himself and the very thing she’s holding out to him.

Yet he manages to smile back at her with that lopsided look and takes her small hand, ever so gently, within his large one.

“When I went to leave my note in his office for the day off I needed … I did more than just that.” Belle continues on with her explanation as the machine blinks softly and tilts his head to study her face. “Mr. Getto appeared to be going through a lot of files, probably thanks to some delivery issue he was having, and I saw a folder in his cabinet that he keeps locked up. That folder… I stole it and quickly left with all the contents inside of it before he could know about it.”

“So you stole… A folder-but it can’t just be any ordinary thing. I know you. You wouldn’t take something if you didn’t feel the absolute need you had to.” Rumplestiltskin states, knowing her rather well at this point, but there is a flare of anxiety within him that is readable by how his form stiffens and his parts clatter a bit too loudly from within his chest. “Belle… Does this folder have something to do with me? P-Please, tell me-”

“It does, at least I think so. It says, ZOSO on the tab.” Belle speaks up, and tucks her lip between her teeth in anticipation of his response.

The hand that had been holding hers, reminding her why it felt so right when they were joined like this, releases her and rises to put a small barrier between them. Already she can feel him attempt to close off part of himself with this reaction, and her lungs tighten painfully while her hands move to try and hold onto him so he can’t slip away.

“H-Have… You…” He begins to mumble, refusing to look at her with his large eyes while his form is starting to shake a bit. “Did you l-look inside… It?”

Belle shakes her head swiftly and steps back towards him, pushing the outward arm back down to his side so they are bared face to face with nothing in-between them.

“No. I promised you that I wasn’t going to invade your privacy, and I mean to keep that promise, especially after I failed you. I haven’t looked at the contents of the folder nor of the VHS tape that was in it.”

“Tape? There was a tape in it?” Rumplestiltskin hasn’t tried to squirm away from her again, though he has continued to try to put some space between them. It breaks her heart that he has rejected her hand, but she supposes with information like this she’d be wanting to withdraw to combat her confusion as well. How would she feel if she knew nothing, say… Of her mothers death, and then suddenly out of the blue later in life was granted a folder with possibly all the information about it?

“Yeah, here let me show you it.” Belle turns from him and goes to her desk, grabbing her bag to rifle through the contents within. She finds both items there and she lets out a relieved sigh before turning back to the mechanical man with both items held out in her hands. Rumplestiltskin turns to face her again, though he is a bit hunched and tilted to look at the heavy fat folder in her right hand and the old home video within her left.

He barely touches the tape with one segmented digit, almost as if he was afraid he would break the old thing residing in her hand. However, his fingers flies away upon contact with the tape, seeming to finally prove to himself it was very much real.

“Zero One-A Rumplestiltskin instillation…How could this be? I don’t remember being taped in my entire existence. The day I was first activated here at Avonlea nothing of the sort happened, there was no camera around, nor was Mr. Getto filming me.”

“What? Are you sure about that?” Belle asks, her eyes widening a bit with worry as she studies the faux face of her friend twitch slightly. She knew he had an impeccable memory from first hand experience. Rumplestiltskin could recall how to make her tea perfectly, he could tell the entire story of the velveteen rabbit word for word without glancing inside their old book, and she had heard him spout what he had done on specific days of the year from over twenty years ago in perfect detail.

“I’m positive… I don’t remember anything like that happening.” His eyes flicker back to hers and she can see the raw honesty shimmering there in them. Some of his unkempt hair has fallen with his hunch, semi covering his face, but the truth lays there in the lines of his face and the gap of his hinged mouth.

He is terrified of what she has found.

“Rumple, we don’t have to look at any of this if you don’t want to.” Belle sputters, quickly pulling the items back to her chest as a pain blossoms there behind her ribs. The mechanical man stands up straight then, looking at her bewildered once more, but Belle has to finish saying what she means to say before he can cut in. “I know I took this without your permission or Marco’s either, but I only did this so you could have this chance to possibly know more about yourself. I don’t know what’s inside the tape or the folder, I swear I wouldn’t look in there without your one hundred percent agreement-but just because I took this doesn’t mean you or I have to look inside.”

Things could remain just as they were, without any fear of either of them being rendered heart broken, or hurting, or…

“But aren’t you curious to the nature of the beast before you? Or the horrors I’ve caused here?” Rumplestiltskin spits suddenly, and Belle shrinks back only an inch at the sudden spark of rage behind his eyes. Anxiety fills her when she sees one of his eyes slightly flicker, but the large orbs remain their proper size and do not revert to the pinpoint dots that still haunt her dreams. “I mean, I am just a machine-if you wanted to look even without my consent there would be nothing I could do about it. You have every right to disregard my wishes-W-Why would you even care enough about me not to look?”

“Because you’re my friend! You know that I don’t want to treat you like how you were by everyone else, nor will I ever! I care about you too much to hurt you like that.” Belle quickly and angrily states right back, no longer entrapped by the momentary fear. She closes the space between them before the animatronic could react and practically pinned him against the large wooden desk. Feelings of all sorts were rising up and brimming at the surface to burn against her skin, threatening to encompass her body in a whirl of flames from how deep it licks at her bones.

“You are just as equal to me,even with that metal body, and your life is just as precious as anyone’s I’ve ever known.”

Rumplestiltskin stops in place, dropping his out raised arms while shame seems to crawl across the lines around his mouth and fore head.

“I… I’m so sorry dearest. I know you wouldn’t treat me like that. It’s just hard sometimes for me to remember that I don’t need to be… You wouldn’t hurt me…” He whispers on a soft note, seeming to release some of that anxiety she knew had been in his earlier shaking form.

Belle exhaled a soft breath herself though she knew none came from him. It wasn’t like she was really angry at him for lashing back because he only snapped out in fear and not out of any anger towards her, though she was still a bit hurt by him. Rumplestiltskin was probably beyond frightened right now at what she has abruptly brought him without warning, and she can’t blame him for that.

The animatronic shaped like a man and treated like nothing more than a tool had spent twenty eight years without a clue to anything beyond the day he ‘woke’ up within these walls. It would be scary for anyone to suddenly have a means to know beyond what they could properly recall, but then again his situation was unlike anyone’s ever.

A hand rises up next to Belle’s head, surprisingly her slightly, but she closes her eyes when the shell of Rumplestiltskin’s hand gently brushes her chin and cheek. His icy fingers against her skin are so cool to the touch, she swears that he’s the only one who can smother this fire crackling beneath her flesh with his absence of heat. Belle leans into his palm with semi lidded eyes, lifting her own hand to keep his pinned against the burning of her face.

“Right now I’m just a bit alarmed by this, dearest. I hope you understand, I never thought I’d ever know anything more about me, and yet somehow I know it can’t all be good…” He whispers to her then, rubbing his slightly bumpy thumb lightly over her cheek, making her the one to gasp silently in need of his touch.

“I’ll put back the folder and tape if you don’t want to look, or if you want to look and for me not to that’s fine too. Don’t think for a second I’ll suddenly stop caring about you if you need to do this alone. You mean too much to me to do that-and I-I…” She fights back the words that want to come crawling out from her throat. Rumplestiltskin would be even more frightened by them than the mysterious items she’s brought him because she’s terrified of them too.

“It’s okay Belle.” She opens her eyes to see warm amber ones gently glowing back behind half closed lids. For once he looks more confident than she in these situations they keep falling into together, and she notes it’s nice to not have to strut about as if she is some unshakable human being who is confident in everything she does.

Suddenly the mechanical man’s other hand tucks itself behind her back and Belle finds her head being cradled to his body while her entire form is brought against his.

The thumping in her heart begins to escalate again, and yet she nearly wants to tear up at how perfect it feels to be held in his arms.

Truly there was no way for Belle to describe how it felt to be molded against him and to fit him as he did her, curve for curve.

“I’m… I do want to know what’s in those items you’ve brought since they seem important enough to the old man to keep around… More so, I don’t want to do it alone. I know I should bear my burden on my own, and I especially shouldn’t push any of it on someone as wonderful and kind as you, but… I’m tired of doing everything by myself.”

Belle blinks slightly, feeling an airy sensation fill up within her body that was threatening to have her lift up off the floor and away from the animatronic if she were to slip away. It was a good thing he was holding her tightly.

“You mean you want to share it with me? But-” Belle desperately asks, needing his absolute clarity on his decision. “Rumple, there might be stuff about that incident you were in twenty five years ago, are you sure you want me to possibly find out about that?”

His yellow eyes meet her with the angle of her head, though his chin comes to rest against the top of her skull to break that momentary connection and replace it with another. As his words spill forth his mouth moves, and Belle can’t help but notice for a brief moment that he talks more with his entire jaw and lips than he used to when they first met months ago.

“You just said I was your equal-and no one, not a single soul has ever treated me like that before… If my ‘existence’ is considered just as important as yours, then I don’t see how I have any right to keep hiding it from you… Even the bad. You are far too kind to this old decaying monster Belle, and it will… G-gladly lay itself in s-scraps before your feet if you only ask.”

The adoration flowing forth is heartwarming, but his last words were not what she desired in the least bit.

“I don’t want  _this man_  in scraps, I want him whole.” She whispers back, tending her ear to his metal to hear the ticking and clacking beneath his rigid form.

They stand there like this, huddled and holding onto one another in the florescent glow of her office for a while longer. The darkness and unknown creaks beyond them menacingly, threatening to take away the happiness and connection they have both come to posses. This foreboding feeling is simply willing the young woman to hold onto her companion even tighter so he will not be the one to slip away this time.

However, they can’t postpone what they need to do now.

Belle pulls back from Rumplestiltskin with a weary smile dappling her cheeks. She’s still holding onto the two objects that weigh heavy in her arms, much more than what a VHS tape and folder should.

“Okay…” She speaks up, letting her usual cheery nature thrive once again, thanks to the light still shining around them and the smile she sees creeping up upon Rumplestiltskin’s scaled features. “We’ll do this both-just the two of us.”

“Yes, of course, dearest.” He nods his head, looking as confident as he can now that they’ve made up their minds. “We’ll do this together.”

——————

They sit upon the comfy couch, side by side, with the fat manila folder sitting on their touching knees to support it. The red marker written tab looms back at them, threatening in it’s color as well as the four letter word scribbled upon it. However, they are brave (at least together they are), and so Belle gives Rumple one final look to make sure that he’s ready. The imp, who has removed his squeaky and sturdy leather coat to be much more comfortable beside her (mostly for her sake), glances back and simply flourishes a hand for her to get on with it.

Carefully Belle grabs the top of the folder and peels back the cover.

Immediately what the duo sees are several stapled groups of paper, and Belle grabs two of them to begin riffling through whatever information they might have. Rumplestiltskin grabs the other two, flipping a page over while the other hand holds it up before blinking slightly as his optics adjust to reading in the soft yellow light of the office.

Belle scoffed at herself, deciding she should stop studying her  _intriguing specimen_  sitting next to her and more so on the paper in her hands. 

“These are all the old schematics and mechanics for the old animatronics.” Rumplestiltskin speaks up, flipping through another page of diagrams just like Belle was looking at. Sure enough, he’s right on the dime. She can tell that each stack of stapled papers went with each animatronic that had been used in Avonlea during Rumple’s era nearly twenty eight years ago.

A clawed finger reaches over and points at the broken down schematic of the evil queen currently in Belle’s hand, trailing over the list of parts that were label off to the side. 

“As you can surely see these machines were a lot heavier than the newer ones. That’s because they had such clunky builds and required more cumbersome pieces to operate than the ones Marco owns currently.”

“Yet they don’t look near as complicated as you do-physically or  _internally_  I mean.” Belle smiles a bit upon seeing a slight frown of un-amusement on Rumplestiltskin’s face at her tiny joke. Those blue eyes of hers rove back over all the pages, gleaming off bits of information that was printed manually on the page (by a typewriter she could easily conclude), as well as in pen notes by a hand other than Mr. Getto’s. This hand writing was far less loopy, but still done in a cursive style that was just more squat and condensed.

However, besides that there was nothing truly useful to Belle throughout each and every stabled stack of papers. None of them had any printed name for the machines designer’s, where they exactly came from, or who developed them-though they each had what she would call a ‘serial number’ on the first page that Belle would come back to investigate later.

“They do have different numbers than you. Perhaps searching on the internet with them might pull up some results later.” Belle turns to Rumplestiltskin, noticing the imp was staring heavily at a single semi torn piece of paper from the top of the pile within his clutch. “What’s that?” Belle leans in closer and peers at what appears to be an order form for mechanical pieces dated just a little under twenty eight years ago.

Rumplestiltskin shrugs his plated shoulders and throws the paper into their now growing ‘examined’ pile. “It was just an order form to a company for some parts, which was used for the other animatronics in my day. I remember they were breaking down fairly often a year into my activation, and thus required a repair man to stop by pretty much monthly, if not two times a month.”

“Doesn’t sound like they worked out so well after all, but did the mechanics ever have to look you over too?” Belle remains leaning close to him, not minding his unique scent drifting against her nose since the smell comforted her.

“No, well-one tried once.” Rumplestiltskin grumbles, looking a bit foul with how his lips twist slightly into a snarl. “The man couldn’t figure me out much to ‘my’ discomfort, and in his idiotic attempt of doing so he nearly goofed up my entire right side by just going about tearing at my cords. I was more naive at the time and thought he knew better, but then I began to error terribly, and I had to make my point by screeching just to get him to stop. The man decided after that little incident he wasn’t capable of ‘fixing’ me as I soon overheard him bickering with Marco.” The imp giggles a bit, looking ever so mischievous towards her, and Belle can only roll her eyes at the perfectly played back scene that must be running through his head.

“Well, you won’t have to worry about doing that once we get you a proper mechanic. I mean, if the specs for the old animatronics were here than surely yours must be in here as well!” Belle beams, practically growing excited at the thought of finding a proper way to tend to Rumplestiltskin’s faults and damaged equipment.

“I’m quite doubtful on that.” Rumplestiltskin murmured as Belle lifted another and then another set of order forms for the old animatronics. The imp lifted a hand and began to knead at nothing once more, catching Belle’s gaze with that tick that spoke he was nervous or anxious. “It’s just… In the three years I was an animatronic under their uses not once was I actually worked upon by a mechanic- _properly_. No one ever knew what they were even doing with me. I could tell not even Mr. Getto knew exactly how to handle me…”

Belle studies him a bit, looking at his eyes that appear to be staring off into the darkness of the TV that sits across from them on the floor. She can’t tell what’s going on in his mind, though it looks to be decades old memories with the way his fingers clack against one another in their need to twist at the imaginary thread of thoughts.

“So besides that one man trying to figure you out on a whim, you’ve never been properly examined? Or properly repaired?”

“Yes. After that one repair man was given an attempt Mr. Getto never let anyone else touch me. He always told the others that came in and inquired about me that I had my own specialty mechanic-whom I never met, not even once.” Rumplestiltskin frowns further the end, looking a tad bit embarrassed to share this information.

“That’s so strange… So what happened when you began to face wear and tear?” Belle took in sight of his body and also his clothes, studying the scratches standing out against his hands that only showed in the right light as well as the roughly worn vest about his thin frame and scuffed pants clad to his legs. She was feeling for him and his state of wear once again, and was more determined than ever to fix his wardrobe as soon as she could. There was no way she was going to be as inconsiderate as everyone else had been with her dear imp.

“Mr. Getto did what he could to take care of the simple things, but I didn’t experience any real issues until about four years into my… Current living style as one might call it. Though the reason he wanted me repaired was more or less my ability to break the rules and my programming running amok. That had him and everyone else quite alarmed over time.”

“Is that why you were removed from the stage? They thought you were beyond help and so they just, tossed you aside?” Belle’s fingers curled a bit harder over the paper in her hands than she meant to. “That’s too cruel, I don’t care if they just thought you were a lifeless machine to do whatever they wanted with.”

“Now you must understand, dearest… I began to get too caught up in trying to find out what I could and couldn’t do that I failed to see why all the humans around me were growing frightened as the weeks progressed. Their fear was reasonable-who wouldn’t be terrified of something like me becoming fully aware and self conscious?” The animatronic waves a hand over himself, as if he is trying to reminder her once again that he is no ‘man’ nor should be treated as such. “I was doing things that couldn’t or at least shouldn’t be done by a machine, and it wasn’t till I was thrown into storage that I even understood just what went wrong.”

Rumplestiltskin’s flighty hand began to slow down as did the speed of his voice. “My anger began to set in horribly as I was sitting away in that small closet for day after day. It took to festering in my hardware like a virus, feeding the awful… Broken part of me… I-I didn’t ask to be like this, why would I since it’s cause so much harm? I-I’m just what I am, though I don’t even know what that is anymore…”

Then he just sits there, dejectedly gazing at the television where his reflection seemingly haunts the darkness of the screen right back at him. Belle can’t help but have her compassionate heart be drawn towards him, but she’s also physically drawn to him in her desire to reassure him he’s not alone. 

It must be awful to not even be sure of what one’s self was-it wasn’t an experience most humans could really relate to. Deep down Belle knew that he was constantly confused and afraid about that as well as his ‘purpose’ in this world.

Yet in her world, he is perfectly fine just as he is, including the scales, pointy teeth, and need to be charged by wires. One day she hopes he’ll come around to believe her, but for now she’ll keep this to herself till the day he is ready to hear it.

One hand lets go of the paper she was holding to reach over and tenderly sit upon his thigh, which draws him back from within the depths of the dark TV with a whirl of his head. His eyes flicker down to the hand set on his leg, and though he was always lost at her touches he never rejects them much to her happiness. 

“I wish I had been there to help you… You were just confused about being-you know, you, and being ‘you’ isn’t a bad thing in the slightest. If I had been around I wouldn’t have let them stuff you into a tiny room, no way…” Belle smiles softly, wishing with everything in her that things had been different for Rumplestiltskin.

“The past is past and nothing can change it, dearest. Besides, you were just a wee babe by the time all of this happened, all the way back in your home town in Australia far far from here.” Suddenly he quirks his head, seeming amused at something she has not the slightest clue over. “That thing you humans believe in, it’s called ‘fate’ right? It seems it has brought us together regardless of everything though…” He gives a short laugh, more of a human one than the eerie giggle he wields. “You have to keep ending up here in this blasted building at night for some reason!”

“And I’ll keep coming back, nothing is going to stop me, especially not any handsome sorcerers lingering about.  _That just happens to be a plus_.” She winks at him, causing his lips to sputter for several moments on a face that is possibly the cutest look she’s seen him wear yet.

Happily she tucks the little memory into the confines of her heart to think about later.

Rumplestiltskin waggles his brows at her then, his imp tone rising in heights. “So I’m simply a ‘perk’ for your job now? My-my! I could say the same to you if I happened to be employed, though such stubborn little thing you are….”

“Perhaps I am stubborn, but that means I’m not going to give up easily, especially looking through this pile here-there has to be  _something_ worth our time.” Belle grumbles, returning her attention to the folder that still contains an array of paperwork bundle up with paper clips or staples.

The human and the animatronic continue on as the papers crinkle loudly beneath their fingertips, but Belle is growing wearier by the second about them actually finding anything of use. The two look for a good while, but all there seems to be is more order forms, more work contracts, more of the old animatronics and nothing even mentioning the gold scaled machine sitting beside the young woman. It’s not till she picks up the last remaining portion of their unexplored pile to distribute it evenly between human and animatronic that something catches the security guard’s eye.

“What’s this?” She mutters as she pulls what appears to be an envelope from between another stapled portion of expenses. It’s torn at the top, so it’s already been opened, but she finds there are several folded pieces of paper stuffed within when she pulls back both sides to peek in. However, the information that catches her eye the most is the fact that the envelope has a return address stamped onto it and an entire receiving address to some location in New York City.

“ZOSO Technologies.” Rumplestiltskin blurts, tearing Belle’s sight away from the handwriting on the envelope that is clearly Mr. Getto’s excessive cursive. The imp stares at it rather blankly and points at the senders address at the tip top line, drawing her eye back in. “That’s who that letter was sent to… So the person who did deal me did refer to themselves as ZOSO in some manner.”

“These have to be letters Marco sent to the person who has something to do with you.” Belle feels the air gush out of her throat then, leaving her lungs empty and hollow. Carefully she reaches in and takes out all the tucked in papers, taking in account their yellow aged pages-clearly a sign these had been sent out probably about two decades ago…

She quickly glances over all of them, seeing most of them have dates scribbled up in the corner in the handwriting they are both familiar with and one she isn’t. Since there were only a few, about five to be exact, Belle organized them all by date and put the very first one on top.

“Most of these are letters Mr. Getto wrote to this ZOSO person, but there is one that isn’t his handwriting. Actually, it looks like the writing on the specs for the old animatronics.” Belle states as she lets her eyes take in some of the beginning of the letter. “I organized them properly and this has to be the first one sent by Mr. Getto. It’s dated pretty early too- during 1984, I’d say that’s right before he got you…”

“That is the year I was ‘born’ as you could say, and It wasn’t later till late summer I was added as an installment.” Rumplestiltskin mumbles, touching his lips with a clawed finger in deep contemplation.

Belle glances back from the paper to him, trying to establish what they should do with it. Deep down she really wanted to read them, for there had to be something here if not the VHS tape, but the wary look in her friend’s eye keeps her lips sealed together.

Then suddenly she doesn’t even need to ask.

“You should read it.” Rumplestiltskin responds quickly, looking at her under half lidded eyes while appearing as if he was dreading her actually doing so. Belle is suprised, she can’t quite find the right words so instead she offers him the paper, but he shakes his head at her and keeps it at bay with his hand. “No-I don’t know if I’d have the… I can’t. However if you read it I might be able to keep it together…”

“Only so long as you’re sure. Also, just tell me to stop if you need me to though and for any reason. I’ll understand.” Belle forewarns him, and he nods his head ever so slightly again in reply. With that Belle turned her eyes back to the not so simple piece of paper within her hands, minding the age with a sense of carefulness that one such as her, with her adamant love of books, had mastered. She starts at the top line and after a few hesitant breaths her voice drifts up through the air, bringing back long lost words of her employer into the present.

‘February of 1984.’

_“Dear Zoso, I wanted to write you as soon as I could about the four animatronics you had sent and installed here at Avonlea. It’s been a little over five weeks since everything was set in place and I wanted you to know that everything is running just as smoothly as you said it would be. It’s been wonderful, and the families stopping by have been giving their praises over our new additions! I greatly appreciate your help in finding the best technology to have at my establishment, for I’ve been working on creating a fun family friendly experience for a while now and with these machines I know I can inspire children or alight their imaginations.”_

The next part, as Belle moved on to read through the rest of the letter, catches her attention enough that she has to pause a moment to glance at the animatronic sitting beside her. He seems intrigued just as she is with how he has tilted his head and finally relaxed by the sound of his gently ‘clacking’ machinery, so she continues onward.

_“However, I wanted to ask you about the proposal you offered me you where here during the instillation of the four basic machines. You mentioned something about needing somewhere to test your own new model and line of animatronics that you were constructing yourself. I know at the time when you asked me to consider I had quickly declined your request-I admit that was merely out of my worry of having to upkeep more than four animatronics since I’ve never dealt with anything of this sort before. However, you have shown yourself to be a man of expertise at this sort of thing and have helped me tremendously in this new avenue I’ve taken that I think it’s only fair that I could assist you as you’ve assisted me.”_

_“How much do you think you could take for the prototype model? Though my finances are a bit tight I would very much like to purchase it if you would still consider me and Avonlea a possibility. I’d be able to pay you for the instillation and as well as any other expenses if you need extra materials for setting it up here. If you’ve already found another prospect with another business that’s alright, if not though, please write back or call as soon as you can. Then we can confirm more information so we can add another addition to the Avonlea crew.”_

_“Sincerely, Marco Getto.”_

Belle takes a moment to breathe as well as a moment to let her mind soak up everything she has just read. Rumplestiltskin seems to be doing just the same-of course, minus the breathing part. His eyes flicker from the slightly crumpled page in her hands to hers with an expression that is kind of hard to read even though she has grown to know the different meanings in the long lines of his face. He’s perplexed-it’s the best way she can describe from the lack of harsh lines around his mouth, and she too is just as perplexed.

“So if Zoso didn’t create the other animatronics ‘he’-” Belle has noticed Mr. Getto had referred to this enigmatic character as a ‘man’. “Must have dealt with them from another business or company, but it seemed you were his own new creation, this prototype Marco wrote about.” Belle states first, having noticed that fact leaping off the page instantly as she had been reading. “How odd… Why did he procure them and not build them himself if he also did build animatronics? Unless this guy was just starting out… Yeah! That makes more sense. You were probably Zoso’s first machine he built, hence the Zero-One portion of your model name!”

Rumplestiltskin doesn’t seemed as satisfied with her logical conclusion from the way his jittery finger taps against his knee.

“It doesn’t quite make much sense though. Why would this person still just simply help Marco get the animatronics and not the company who built them… Bah! Perhaps reading more of the letters will give us more insight.” A green gold hand flaunts itself alongside his words, and Belle steadily agrees. The more they read the more the picture before them should gain clarity, and best of all the next letter is the actual letter written by this ‘ZOSO’ figure.

Belle tucks the first letter away and grabs the second, then begins to dive into the constrained handwriting that takes up little of the page.

‘March of 1984.’

_“Dear Marco Getto, I appreciate your letter and I am glad that I’ve been able to help make your age old dream a reality. Machines and robotics have always been a passion of mine and to see them be used for the betterment of children and adults a like is always what I’ve sought after. I’ll be sure to send the mechanics and designers for your first four machines your thanks, as I have a bit more work to do with them myself.”_

_“As for my Beta model, I have a few other clients interested in purchasing it, but I think Zero-One A would be a perfect addition to your Avonlea family. I’ve been wanting a lively environment to keep this machine within, allowing me to see it’s capabilities as it engages with humans, and your business is just what I think it needs. I’ve been developing these robotics for my prototype for many years now, so this will be a huge important step for me to calculate what improvements I need to take for future endeavors with better models. Zero-One A is, without a doubt in my heart, a new leap for mankind and it’s day to day interaction with machinery, and what better way than to the show the world the future than by having it entertain kids.”_

“So, I was a test run that he just up and forgot about I suppose?” Rumplestiltskin interrupts Belle with a scowl settling across his face, at least letting Belle take the necessary pause again to understand everything that had been written upon the page. The imp beside her however, closes his eyes a bit right after and makes a peculiar noise with a nasty tooth bared smile. “Ah! Zero-One A-the newest leap in technology for all of mankind! Oh yes, I’m making them leap alright, straight into the air out of fear.”

“Hey.” Belle frowns at the machine, being very tempted to roll up the page she was holding to bop him with if need be. “I’m not going to sit here and listen to you depreciate yourself, though if I recall correctly you’ve purposefully been making security guards like ‘me’ jump into the air the last few months.” Those blue eyes of hers squint at him and the machine slouches back a bit, looking sheepishly at the tiled floor as if it holds so much interest.

“That’s what I thought, moving on now.”

Belle cleared her throat with a slight cough then continued on.

_“In regards to your question on price, I’m not going to demand near as much as the other four. It’s still a prototype after all, so I have a good feeling I’ll be back often just to check up on it and adjust things with it’s programming when necessary. I might even need to take it back a while, over an extended amount of time, to collect my data. Luckily I’m going to be making another trip this way soon because I’ll be in the area on local business. I’ll stop by at a time convenient for you and we can discuss more about getting my machine settled with you at it’s new home.”_

_“If you have any questions or need some assistance with the animatronics already set up, feel free to give me a call and I’ll get to you when I can._ _With hopeful regards, Zoso.”_

“So not only am I a poor test model with faults in my system, Mr. Getto bought me up cheap too!” The animatronic snapped out right when she had finished speaking, looking as if he had held his metal tongue back long enough with how his jaw moved. Belle felt compassion well up even more within her at the disconcerting fact he proclaimed. It bothered her more each and every time she thought about the fact that Rumplestiltskin had been ‘bought’ and ‘sold’ at others whims at one point in his life.

He snarled then as he nearly stood up from the couch, looking ready to tear into something or smash the TV into pieces with his sudden building fury. “So what am I really? Just-just a worthless pile of welded together junk that was better off being tossed out all along-not even spared a second thought! Or am I better of being called a pipe dream from a delusional person who made a monster instead of this great wonder-”

“Stop right there Rumple! I don’t want to hear you say another word like that!” Belle yelled out of the blue, startling the imp himself with how he flinched back from her. Those harsh words of his died off when the machine glanced to the human beside him and found her frowning intensely at him with wet shimmering eyes.

Rumplestiltskin blinked in shock while his lips moved silently as if to say something else, but he said nothing more a strange crackled sound.

“You’re far more valuable than Mr. Getto nor this Zoso person could ever possibly imagine.” The young woman began, feeling the words effortlessly come forth and make themselves known. “Especially to me. You’re absolutely priceless and incredibly important, and you’ve helped me out continuously time and time again… I wouldn’t trade you for anything, not a single thing in the entire world.”

She wouldn’t-couldn’t ever think of him as just a ‘thing’, even when they first met on that frightening night she could tell he was not just some random moving object to be treated without care. Whatever he might physically be doesn’t change the fact that above all else he is ‘Rumple’ first-the being who truly lives within Zero-One A, and the one she wants to happily spend the rest of her life alongside.

When Rumplestiltskin speaks, it’s not at all what she had been expecting him to say. She’d been preparing now mentally for more of his self deprecating words to lash out and try to ‘remind’ her that he is no human-that he is a ‘heartless machine’ or a ‘monster’ that she must come to fear.

Her witty tongue falls flat at what he actually says.

“You wouldn’t trade me for a-anything? Even if it meant you could care for your father better or help him get the medical attention he needs?”

Belle is startled by the sudden powerful question and she shifts herself to better face her mechanical companion. Rumplestiltskin is just staring sadly back at her, seeming to already know what her answer must be as a line of seriousness is drawn across those thin lips. As the pounding of her heart increases Belle shakes her head quickly at him, denying even the simple thought of humoring his inquiry.

So he was asking her if she would sell him as if he was just a means to an end? Even if it was for her father and even if they desperately needed the money-it was too disgusting! The whole idea of trading him off made her stomach lurch and her throat tighten thanks to the sickly feeling welling up.

“No. I said it before and I’ll say it again, your life is the same as mine, as my fathers, as any one’s in town or the whole world. I wouldn’t trade you off, that’s horrible you would even humor the thought I’d do such a thing…”

Belle turns from him then, letting her eyes drift back over to the blank TV that helps swallow up such unwelcome thoughts. From the semi reflective surface she can see the bleary distorted shape of Rumplestiltskin’s face, looking back at the TV too with a glint in his eyes that she does not understand. However, Belle is desperately wanting him to understand the value his own life holds, but after years of being disregarded as ‘worthless’, ‘a monster’, or ‘broken’ she could see why he held so little towards himself.

She too had been labeled through out her life and had tried so hard to get away from all the things that every one had ever said she’d only be.

It was too terrible to continue pondering about, so much so that Belle swallowed back the words she wanted to say and instead went back to the next letter to read from the thinning stack.

‘January of 1985.’

_“Dear Zoso, it’s been a a while since the complete successful instillation of your machine Zero-One A and so I thought I’d send you an update like you requested. It’s been phenomenal! This machine is beyond anything I thought possible, especially compared to the other four. I am almost tempted to commission you more, but this character has already become quite the star as himself. I _swear, _sometime__ Rumplestiltskin looks  _so much_  like an actual person when he moves and talks that I forget he’s a machine. The local kids, as well as their parents, have become enthralled with him too.”_

The security guard glances at her cohort, letting a wide smile dapple her lips that are heavy with pride over the few lines she’s read out loud. Rumplestiltskin himself seems rather pleased with it too, for his lopsided smile is peaking at the corner of his mouth despite how he is turned from her in his attempt to hide it.

 _“So far there’s been no mechanical errors that I haven’t been able to easily fix on my own thanks to your helpful advice. However.”_  Belle felt a bit of nervousness settle into her stomach with that dreadful word looming back on the page, though continued to read on without glancing at her imp.

_“I am a bit worried that it’s programming is not meshing well with the show or what you set up. It sings and performs as you said it would, but I can’t help but notice it almost seems to be doing-more. For example, I thought I saw it engaging in conversation with kids when it should have been deactivated as it always is after a show. I know that my worry sounds silly, and it could simply be one of the many little issues you’ve mentioned would pop up with it being in still such an early phase of it’s testing, but I thought I’d share that with you.”_

_“Other than that, Rumplestiltskin has come to fit right within the crew here at Avonlea. I’m still in awe every time I see him standing and walking about his stage, and I’m sure once we get more shows set up and installed he’ll be able to do even more, as I know he is capable of, for the kids.”_

_“One thing before I end this already lengthy letter, how are you? I noticed you were a bit sickly when you were installing Zero-One A, the last time we met, and I was worried for your health. There’s a bad round of flu going on this year, so I hope that it keeps out of your way if you’re not feeling better._ _With kind regards, Marco Getto.”_

“Huh? Marco sounded very concerned about this guy and his health, enough that he felt he had to ask him about it.” Belle pointed out while running her eyes over the lines just to make sure she hadn’t read anything wrong. “What if Zoso was very sick and… Could it be… Um…”

Rumplestiltskin peered at her harder when she didn’t finish her sentence, and Belle blushed when he suddenly leant in and drew his faux face closer to hers.

“What? You think he ‘died’ or something of the sort?” The imp blatantly supplied, not caring to spare a moment of pity it seemed for his acclaimed creator. “If that were the case I think Mr. Getto wouldn’t have continued to write all these other letters to a dead man.”

It did make sense. If this Zoso person had died wouldn’t Marco have figured it out or head about it? Then again, how come none of the remaining letters in the pile were from that still so mysterious person’s handwriting? It was all so… Odd, and made the young woman sense something rather foreboding about the rest of the letters. So far the correspondence between these two in their writings was positive, but it was not helping them gain much more insight to Rumplestiltskin’s origins as she’d been hoping they would. 

All they seemed to be getting were just more questions than answers…

“There’s two more letters left, but maybe there will be more information that will help clear that up too.” Belle retorted with a slight shrug of her shoulders while attempting to form some optimism. However, for some reason Belle was getting a bad feeling, as if all this hope she’s put into these letters is about to turn against her and make her regret ever finding this folder.

Yet, they have to press on. There might be something- _anything_  of use and Belle knew she had to keep reading, especially with how Rumplestiltskin’s eyes bore straight into the piece of paper in her hands with that intensity of his.

“Yes, perhaps if we read on…” He mumbles, yet he too was hardly enthused by the thought.

So with another sigh Belle continued on.

‘November of 1985.’

_“Dear Zoso, I haven’t heard from you in a while, I hoped you got my letters I sent back several months ago. Hopefully I haven’t been messing up the address and they’re getting lost in the mail.”_

_“Please, if you’re reading this give me a call as soon as you can. It’s nothing to do with the four animatronics you helped me procure. I got a repair man to stop by and help fix the issue with our system and them, for they had been offline for about a week which was a terrible shame since it was during the main week spring break was held this year. No, my_   _troubling issues I’m having are with Zero-One A.”_

The machine in question stiffens upon his cushion right beside the human woman reading the jagged cursive aloud. A quick glance shows the weary yet playful expression Rumplestiltskin has been wearing before is falling away alongside the mask he was attempting to keep up. The slightest flicker of… Apprehension was now carving itself away into his face, aging his looks further despite the fact they’re simply an illusion made from silicone and paint.

Belle’s voice unwillingly trembles a bit but she goes right back to speaking when her companion says nothing to stop her.

_“I… I’m trying to find a way to properly describe it, because even I am having a hard enough time exactly believing what is happening here. This machine you’ve built has always been so ‘life’ like that sometimes I’m still alarmed when I glance at it, but now it’s not just surprising us with how human it is. **It’s honestly frightening me and the staff.** ”_

It becomes a bit too much, and so Belle feels her voice quiver and stop due to a thickness building in her throat. Even if the words her employer has written bother her greatly it’s not like she doesn’t understand where Marco is coming from. For she too had ran from Rumplestiltskin at one point in a terror of the worst kind-honestly fearing her friend just by looking at him, but now that she knew the true nature to the quiet and rather shy being sitting beside her it just seemed too… Outlandish.

‘But you’re always forgetting just what Rumple happens to be.’ The young woman chided herself. ‘He’s a sentient conscious-driven machine, and that goes against all laws and natural order this world has so far…’

Belle’s realizes her frustrations are probably starting to visibly flare with how she is tempted to just throw the remaining letters out and crumple them up. She simply does not want to see such writing talk about her friend in such a manner when Marco and the others had not known him as she has come to, but the animatronic does not seem to feel the same in the slightest.

“It’s okay Belle, I already know that I scared them when I didn’t mean to. There is no point in denying these truths, not to me and especially not from you, you deserve to know…” The animatronic speaks gently in that lower tone, though his quivering hands uncurled upon his knees tell a different story. “Go on-we can’t stop now, we’ve come too far.”

“Okay…” Belle nods her head in defeat before stilling her own slightly sweaty hands so the words do not appear a jittery blur and hurt her eyes.

_“It’s walked off it’s stage-a thing you said might happen, but it’s more than that. It won’t deactivate properly anymore either. It’ll turn off but turn back on all on it’s own accord, it’ll walk around when ever it wants-especially at night… And it’s started saying things to itself, and I think it ‘thinks’ I can’t hear it when it does so. It says bizarre things I don’t understand too-something about the number Forty Four, and I think it tries to sing a song about the name, Lazarus.”_

Belle’s eyes grow large within her head, mesmerized by that harshly scribbled number and equally odd name that does seem to be more important than she understood possible.

“Forty-Four sounds kind of familiar, but Lazarus? What is he even talking about?” Rumplestiltskin quirks his head owlishly during her momentary pause. Belle swiftly looks back at him, to see for sure if that confusion in his voice was as real as she thought it was-and it was. Those large yellow eyes just peer at the paper, utterly lost at what she had just read aloud.

“You mean-do you not remember all the times you’ve said that before?” Belle quickly inquires, making the machine stiffen in his brocade vest and draw up his fingers to himself, appearing more confused. “Remember that time when you had that ‘fit’? It was that night I fell from the chair and you caught me… We went to the room behind the stage and then you had a glitch with your voice and suddenly freaked out. When I started to worry about you, told you that I did care about you, you began to say things I didn’t quite understand and… You kept repeating the number ‘Forty-Four’.”

Rumplestiltskin taps his chin in thought, piecing something together that she can’t quite follow along with. “I mean… I know I’ve said it before, but when I try to think why it’s so important, my programming just glitches and before I know it-I’ve… Just moved on.”

“Do you remember the song you sang then? On the night the man broke into Avonlea and…” Belle fumbles a bit, not really liking to bring up such a horrific memory that still makes her worry whenever she walks down the hallway by herself. “It goes with your odd little tune you hum, or at least it sounded like it did when you sang it.”

Carefully Belle takes a deep breath and then lets her accented lit drift through the cold room upon the nameless melody she has come to know. “ _Forty-Four La-za-rus, walked to their tomb… And Zero-One A-aa…_  Then it ends there, though I definitely think there’s more to it than just that.”

The robotic imp stares blankly ahead for a good long while after her words drift away, leaving a dreadful pause hanging in the air between them. Was he having a reaction to her singing it as he did that night weeks ago? It seemed to consume his entire thought process whenever she did and at least calm him somewhat-or maybe it was doing the opposite.

Belle was about to reach out to touch his cheek but nearly yelped out loud when Rumplestiltskin abruptly let out a sharp short screech from nowhere.

“ **AHHHHHHHHHH!** I don’t remember any of that! I can’t-nothing about this forty-four nor this Lazarus makes any sense! I don’t even know what that means!” The animatronic begins to tug at his straggly hair hanging near his distraught looking face while falling hunched over in his growing frustration she can nearly tangibly feel. “I can remember everything-or do I remember nothing? Forty-four, forty-four? Why can’t I remember anymore? FORTY-FOUR! FORTY-FOUR! FORTY-FOUR-Er-ki-can-for-FORTY-FOUR”

Belle, growing worried about his mental state, quickly put the letter aside and reached up to take ahold of Rumplestiltskin’s hands. His rattling quiets down a fair amount when the pressure of her form against his hand’s metal shell seems to be registered. However, those bright wild eyes darting about in their sockets swiftly close behind their eye lids, shielding him from the sight of her peering back.

“I’m going to assume you don’t know the story of Lazarus then, which I suppose makes sense… And yet it doesn’t if you’re using that word.” Belle softly speaks to him as she takes those deadly clawed hands within her own, enjoying the comfort that his cold meeting her warm brings. “Most people know Lazarus as a figure spoken briefly about in a certain book-a religious scripture to be exact. How the story basically goes is that Lazarus was a very sick man, and he died because of his illness. Shortly after he was buried in a ‘tomb’-though he didn’t  _walk_  into it and there was only one Lazarus of course. Four days later the dead man was resurrected by a person the book calls the messiah, or what refer to as a ‘savior’ of sorts, so he was among the living once again.”

“So, he was just a man that died and was brought back to life in a story… What does that have to do with anything with me though? Why would I talk about such things and not remember it, or even understand it?” Rumplestiltskin asked out loud in his growing anger, baring open his mouth to reveal his rotten sharp teeth, however she knew such the act wasn’t aimed at her.

“I… Don’t know Rumple… To be honest, I think there is much more to you than just your years spent here at Avonlea.” Belle admits, letting the unnerving thought be brought forth and known by him. “If there is proof of things you don’t remember-such as the tape here, then there might be all sorts of things you’ve forgotten. Like you could have forgotten memories from time spent elsewhere, or when you were being built by Zoso.”

“But… That means I was forced to forget all those things Belle.” Rumplestiltskin whispers, looking absolutely intimidated by such a frightening possibility and honestly, Belle was too.

“That has to be it. That would explain why you would have no memory of being video taped if you were active at the time.” Belle softly spoke, putting a curled hand near her face in contemplation. Parts of the puzzle were at least coming together-only as a possibility though, they had no exact proof and it left them in the darkness of the unknown just the same. “It would be easy for your maker to remove your memories if he easily knew how you worked, wouldn’t it? Like how memory is easily controlled in a computer. Your creator could have possibly located any given points in time and had them wiped out…”

‘But why would Zoso take Rumplestiltskin’s memories away? It leaves too many things open now to other possibilities-like how old is Rumplestiltskin really? Or was he ever programed to be…  _Someone else_?’

“I don’t know! Please Belle, lets get back to that letter, before I run out of will power to keep going…” Rumplestiltskin suddenly asks her then, making Belle feel guilt for letting her curiosity overflow and spill out. Once again Belle touches his leg gently, and the machine doesn’t hesitate to reach over and take her hand within his own, filling the empty notches between her fingers with his perfectly fitting metal ones.

 _“And it talks to people. Really, really, talks to them.”_ Belle’s voice slowly rises back up along with the jagged scribbles she reads in her grip.  _“I know I’m not the smartest when it comes to these newer devices and machines, but I know it should only be programmed to say exactly what it needs to. Yet it speaks and says things I’ve never heard it say in the shows or when it quips at nearby kids…_ _I know he’s supposed to be ‘scary’, he’s our big villainous character after all, but these reactions are being caused by more than the silly laugh and whimsical appearance.”_

_“Please, please, call me or come to Avonlea as soon as you can. I know you’re probably a busy many with other clients but Rumplestiltskin needs to be fixed, or I’m going to have to take him off his stage and put him in storage till we can figure it out on our own. I don’t want to do that to him or you, it’s your machine that you’ve taken so many years to develop-and you asked me to let no one else mess with it, so I don’t want to have to do anything to him without your consent or approval.”_

_“It’s so strange, I just noticed as I’m writing this that I keep calling it a ‘he’, even when I don’t mean to. Perhaps your creation is too human like.”_

_“Hoping to hear you back, Marco Getto.”_

“Marco wouldn’t let anyone else work on me because Zoso told him not to. Yet, that man didn’t come back to visit or ever so it seems, nor did he come back to do these repairs Marco was pleading for.”

Belle tucked her lip between her teeth at the imp’s words, letting her mind ponder over why-logically, that might be. It could have been because Zoso had some new technology he developed himself and didn’t want it falling into anyone else’s hands, but then why was Rumplestiltskin still here? If Zero-One A was so important, enough it would change humanity’s interactions with machines, why did his creator never come back for him?

The means to answers to these new questions were starting to look very bleak. Perhaps Belle had been a fool for thinking that a simple silly folder would have everything they would need to reveal all the unknowns about the animatronics past. In fact, all she seemed to have now was nothing but more questions, and the sudden feeling that she and her friend were starting to dive into something… Beyond what it seemed.

“There’s one letter left Rumple.” Belle speaks up while tucking the previous letter back into the torn envelope. “It’s Marco’s so I doubt we’ll find anything else out, but I…” Belle swallowed back a bit of saliva building up in her throat and finally forced her gaze back onto Rumplestiltskin’s face.

‘I have a bad feeling about this… But, I have this entire time haven’t I? I just didn’t want to listen to my gut instincts.’ The young woman muses to herself, regretting having ever been so brash to take the folder in the first place.

“We have to Belle.” Rumplestiltskin whispers, though he looks as if that’s hardly what he agrees with. “Whatever it is, it must have been important enough that Mr. Getto tried to keep writing to this Zoso… I have a good feeling I know why, but…”

She knows what he’s meaning to say, and it makes her stomach squirm once again.

The next letter must be about the incident from twenty five years ago, the one that Rumplestiltskin himself was involved in and the one she still knows so little about. Her skin crawls with this knowledge that all of what happened that fateful horrible day must be within her hands right this very second, and she fights the urge to fold the piece of paper up and tuck it back into the envelope to never see the light of day.

Belle shakes her head slightly, trying to find the right words to explain why she didn’t want to look at this letter. Part of her is still feels the need to know what exactly happened between Rumplestiltskin and that small unnamed boy that it ended up in violent bloodshed and his ‘demise’, but she also knows that it matters little in means of her opinion of him.

Nothing will change what has happened by her knowing, as Rumplestiltskin said before, ‘the past is past’. Even if she hears word for word in extreme detail about the horrible thing he has done she will not think anything differently of her dearest friend for what occurred-she will not abandon him over a mistake that he has regretted for years on end.

Yet it’s more than just that keeping her from wanting to go on.

“I can’t read this letter-I really don’t want to.” Belle admits to him in a gush of words, feeling her emotions rising to the surface and breaching the thin line holding them back. It’s everything she has been trying to prevent, letting Rumplestiltskin see her fears despite how hard she’s tried to keep strong for him. “I think we should stop.”

No longer being able to remain seated Belle rises brashly to her feet, taking a few steps away from that couch, from Rumplestiltskin, and the letter she leaves there in her place.

“B-Belle, please wait-I don’t want you to go-” Rumplestiltskin rises from the couch too, she can hear the sound of it creaking but it’s his words that still her flighty frame that is desperate once again to escape what is welling up within. “I-I can’t read it by myself…”

‘We’ll do this, together.’ He had spoken a while ago, while looking at her with the most trust she has ever seen him willingly bear to her.

Belle felt guilt well up within her throat and she took a spare second to wipe her own wet eyes on her arm before she turned back to him. He stood a few inches from her, looking just as lost and frightened as he had been most of the night, with utter helpless rising from his entire stance.

It takes the weary machine a few moments to speak, but he does so without looking away from her-even though it looks as if he’s fighting off every urge to hide himself. “I’m not b-brave. I’ve never been brave in my entire existe-sten-nce. I know I’m a monster, a broken machine, or at least something unpleasant in this husk-whatever I might be, but even worse than that is the fact that I’m a c-coward.” 

Belle swears if Rumplestiltskin could he would be tearing up right now with how pained he looks to be and how his voice quivers horribly through his plated throat. What he is speaking of are things he is taking a huge risk in his own perception, but she lets him speak freely even if she wants to tell him he has nothing to be afraid about or that he is none of these things he claims to be. 

“You called me that once, and you were absolutely right in your claim… Even now I’m still that cowardly machine through and through, one that has hurt far too many people… But when I’m with you…”

His segmented fingers curl into his palms, tightening with this resolution of his that is wanting to make itself desperately known.

“When I’m with you I forget for a moment that I’m just all those things! I have the slightest hope that maybe I can be brave someday, maybe I can be more than what everyone else or myself has told me that I am, or that I can have a purpose and ‘life’ of my own choosing… I know I’m still just a machine, n-nothing will ever change that, but… But…”

“Do you truly think that’s all you are? You’re so much more brave than you think Rumple.”

He stills as her words flow over him, no longer quivering so harshly as he had while his truths all spill out to the open air.

“Time and time again you keep proving that to me even if you can’t see it yourself. It takes some one brave to admit their wrong, or to do frightening things they haven’t done in their entire life, or to face a small woman and talk to her when you haven’t said a word to anyone in years.” Belle gently says, finding a smile somehow return to her, as it always does with his help even when he’s not knowingly trying. In fact he’s doing more than making her smile, he’s making her want to spill her own truths so that he might know he isn’t alone in wanting to know what it’s like to be ‘truly brave’. 

“I know I seem to be brave all the time, but the honest truth is… There’s a lot of times where I don’t feel courageous at all.” Water collects at the edge of her eyes, but the young woman manages to hold it, though it leaves her to wonder why she must. Wouldn’t it brave to show others how you truly feel-even if it’s the fact you’re afraid? “I make a lot of brash choices and I try to appear like I’m not scared of anything, but I’m often scared quite a lot. Not so amazing now am I? Now that you know I talk a lot but have nothing to back it up I’m hardly worth the title of ‘daring knight’.”

Belle moves her hand to rub at her eyes, not even feeling brave enough to let him see that just right now. Suddenly though, Rumplestiltskin steps even closer to her, bringing his hands up to hold her shoulders in a manner that makes her freeze right in place. Yet, it’s his eyes, ever glowing down upon her in the soft light of yellow that has her caught up completely in his grasp.

“What on earth are you talking about? You have to be the bravest human I’ve ever known!” Rumplestiltskin bears his metal teeth a moment as if to keep his words in but the rest slips right out. “I wish I could be-be like you, or even have a sliver of your bravery. Y-you can look at things head on even if you’re down right terrified, and you don’t let anyone stop you-not even when facing something as horrifying as me during a fit with… B-blood on my hands…”

He whispers softly then, while his entire attention was devoted to just her. “I don’t understand dear one-where do you get this idea that you’re not brave?”

“Because I’m very scared right now, even though I know I shouldn’t be! I don’t want to read that letter or even watch that tape if it means that I-I-” Belle blurts out all of this. The weight of her words releases a terrible weight from her chest but certainly it’s now filling the rest of the room. Heat flares into her cheeks, and Belle glances down to the floor in shame, hoping he couldn’t see what else lay beyond her own facade.

Rumplestiltskin leans in a bit closer, and then his forehead is bumping into hers, forcing her to look up at him. It’s by far one of the most tender touches she’s ever received and not just from him, but well beyond any kiss or means of affection any past lover or friend has given her.

“What are you so afraid of dearest?” The soft words do not brush across her skin with any breath, though she feels them just in the way that he must feel the pressure of her body against his hands.

He’s here right now, easily reachable in her grasp to hold and to keep. Yet what if the day comes he’s no longer here with Avonlea or even willing to be within her arms? What if one day he looses himself so much that he can’t come back from his ‘fit’ and the being she cares so deeply for erodes away entirely? What if what she has brought them tonight truly does rip him away and leave her all…

“I’m scared because I don’t want to loose you! I don’t want you to disappear, or go away! Every day I’m afraid something terrible might happen to you being stuck here or that we’re never going to be together again…” Belle cries, finally reaching her hands around him to cling on tight with a desperation she had not felt since childhood at the sight of her mother’s freshly soil covered grave.

‘I don’t want to be alone again. I to have spent too long without someone to truly care about me. I’ve been strong on my own all these years, and I can do it-I know that, but I don’t want to… Not after meeting you… It would be like I lost part of myself if I lost you Rumple.’

She’s awaiting the animatronic’s mocking laugh to tell her she’s being foolish like so many people often do with anything she deeply fears. However, all that he does is tighten his hands around the sides of her shoulders and let his cold crooked nose brush against the tip of hers ever so slightly.

When he speaks it’s the voice is that low human like that ignites the powerful emotion growing in her chest. “I’m just as stubborn as you about that, beautiful little living creature of mine. I don’t want to loose you either, and I won’t let anything tear us apart-not if I can help it… I can’t in good intentions promise I won’t turn you away one day, though I will try my best not to… Oh Belle… I swear on all that I am I will try my hardest for you, so you won’t be ‘alone’ ever again.”

Belle’s eyes squint slightly on a soft beautiful laugh of hers born out of a sliver of happiness than anything else she happened to feel right now. This act of hers seemed to spark a reaction with her imp, who gave the tinniest grin back despite the fact she could see he was still as nervous as ever with how close they were in each others arms.

Then, everything in that moment seemed to slow for the security guard, who let herself take the spare seconds to truly look at the other sole occupant of Avonlea right before her. All the things that had become normal to her became perfectly clear for a moment. Belle saw, as if looking at him the first time once again, all the wires, the hinged jaw full of metal teeth, the distorted eyes, and scaled flesh, but then they all fell back into place properly as the face she has grown to find so uniquely beautiful. What captured her attention now was the distance separating their faces, which was so small that if she wanted she could just tilt her head forward and capture that set of slips not far from her own.

Belle let out a soft breath, glancing down at the set of gold-grey lips while her arms moved from about Rumplestiltskin’s waist to curl up behind his head. His soft fiber hair twined between her fingers and she hardly noticed the small gasp of surprise issue from the box in his plated throat as she cradled him closer.

“B-Belle-what are you-”

Their lips brushed ever so slightly across each other before he could say anymore, and Belle felt him shudder underneath her touch upon the most beautiful broken sound she’s ever heard.

Just as she was about to move her mouth forward and capture his as she’d been wanting to do all night, the beautiful moment and all of its possibilities was lost.

_**‘RINNNGGGGGG!’** _

With an abrupt ring the landline phone at Belle’s desk came to life, tearing the two apart as they jumped together in unison at the alarming sound.

“Oh!” Belle gasps a bit as if she’s out of air when she withdraws from Rumplestiltskin. Red hot heat bites at her cheeks in seconds as she realized just what she had been so close to doing just now.

‘I-I almost kissed Rumplestiltskin again! Oh Belle-How could you let yourself get so caught up in your emotions like that? You don’t even know if he would even want to kiss you back-oh god…’ In her probably apparent fluster Belle simply clears her throat and pats at the animatronic’s lapel as if adjusting it, though it only makes her feel even more foolish than she had been leaning in for the kiss.

“W-what on earth! Who could be calling Avonlea at this time of night?” Rumplestiltskin blathers in his returned impish tone that disturbs the silence beyond the ringing going on at her desk. In that short frame of time Belle had been regaining her wits he’s already spaced himself rather quickly from her and back towards the couch upon his flighty feet.

Belle bites her lip out of nervousness but quickly moves over to the desk, quickly reaching for the phone that keeps crying out for her to answer. The caller ID screens a number she doesn’t personally know which makes her hesitate in answering. “I don’t know who would be calling at a time like this, the numbers not familiar, and I do know if it was the hospital they would have called my cell phone first.” Yet the said little device hadn’t chirped up at all from her bag this entire night so Belle was just as confused as her animatronic companion on who might be at the other end of the line.

Wearily Belle picks up the receiver and holds it to her head, though she takes a moment to steady herself to sound somewhat ‘normal’ for who ever called instead of the jittery mess she was internally. “Hello, this is Belle French, night guard at Avonlea.”

“Belle? So you are at Avonlea tonight, I wasn’t sure, but I’m glad you’re there.” Surprisingly it’s Emma’s Swans voice meeting her ear from the other end of the phone, and just her tone alone has Belle already growing worried over the reason of the call.

“Is something wrong Emma? It’s pretty late at night, I didn’t think you worked the night shift.”

The other woman speaks quickly, not wasting any time to answer Belle’s inquiry with how fast she fires off questions. “Have you, or did you happen to see Henry out and about town after your stop at Granny’s or when you drove to work tonight?”

Belle tries to recall anything from after she last saw the young Mills boy when he had left with Ms. Mills in her car, but she can’t recollect seeing him anywhere else that entire afternoon or evening. Right after her stop at Granny’s she had gone to her fathers flower shop, then to Avonlea’s to talk to Marco, and then back to her apartment… However she knew she hadn’t seen Henry out and about.

Where was Henry right now then? It was well past one in the morning currently, well beyond any ten year olds proper bed time, especially with having a strict mother such as Regina Mills.

Then something makes Belle still in place, a recollection of something she had seen not hours ago, but just right before she had made it to Avonlea.

‘Wait, hadn’t there been a kid I had to slow down for when I was a few blocks from Avonlea?’ Belle thought to herself, letting a hand of hers lift up and cover her mouth in shock. ‘Could that have been Henry? It was so dark I couldn’t quite tell-’

“How long has Henry been missing?” Belle quickly asks back, now understanding the reason why Ms. Swan had called her and was all worked up about it.

“We’re not sure-Regina found his bed empty at eleven when she went to check up on him. She thought that he had ran off to go find me since we lost our promised day to spend together. I knew he’d been really upset by that when he left with her, but I…” Emma takes a pause to breathe a moment or at least compose herself. “He didn’t come over to Mary Margaret’s apartment to find me, that’s where I’m staying at here in town. Ms. Blanchard, David Nolan and I been looking for him together and Graham’s off on his own, but none of us have been able to find him yet.”

“Surely he’ll come back-”

“I know, but this is the kid who stole a credit card to get someone to find where I lived and then just hopped on a bus all the way to Boston to meet me.” Emma quickly added, and Belle felt her stomach flop in response. “I don’t know what he’s trying to do, but if I don’t find him-”

“You will find him.” Belle interrupts this time around as she quickly reaches for her coat on the back of her swivel chair. With a quick glance the security guard looks back to the mechanical man who is stock still in place, looking back and about as nervous as she was. “I’m going to help look for him too. I think I did see him on my drive over to Avonlea. I’m not one hundred percent sure if it was him, but if it was then maybe he’s still close by.”

“Thank you Belle. I’m getting more people involved to help broaden the search around town. As much as I hate to interrupt everyone’s sleep in the middle of the night I’m going to do so, I’ve got to find my kid.”

‘My kid…’ Belle felt a smile twitch at the corner of her mouth, but the seriousness of the situation remained foremost in her mind. “Okay, I got your cell phone number now so I’ll call you as soon as I find anything or Henry himself-if I do.”

“Okay-I gotta go, me and David are searching for him at his favorite spot.”

With that the phone sharply hung up, leaving a dead tone ringing momentarily in Belle’s ear before she too put the receiver down with a sharp ‘clack’.

Already Belle was in flight, taking her coat and starting to drape it over herself in a flurry of activity. The security guard was so caught up in getting the darn buttons to go through the holes that she failed to properly notice the animatronic in the room ‘clack’ in his approach.

“Come on you stupid buttons! I’m about tempted just to tear them off-” Belle grumbled, but suddenly stopped when a pair of scaled fingers began to easily button up the remaining portion of her coat beneath her hands. “Oh… Thank you Rumple…” Belle softly sighed, glancing up to his face and examining him in his concentration to finish the task she started. “I’m sorry that I have to leave you now, but there’s this kid I know that’s missing and I’ve got to help my friend find him.”

“Don’t apologize to me about that dearest, from the sounds of it you seem pretty worried so I’m not bothered at all. I’d look for him with you too if I could, but that probably wouldn’t work out… Incase I got lost myself.” Rumplestiltskin hums softly and retracts his hands when he’s done aiding her. “There, you’re good to go now. I’ll take care of locking up, so you just do what you need to do.”

“Thank you, I’ll call if anything happens to let you know, but I’m honestly not sure what will happen.” Belle admits to him while reaching for the strap of her bag and slipping it across her shoulders. “You’d like this boy if you ever got the chance to meet him, in fact he kind of reminds me a bit of you in some ways… Overall, Henry is such a good kid, I don’t think I could live with myself if anything bad were to happen to him.”

Worry starts trying to fester in but before it can even make way into her thoughts the young woman is suddenly thrusted forward by a sudden push against her back.

A yelp escapes Belle’s throat as she is forced to stagger out into the hallway thanks to Rumplestiltskin. Swiftly she turns her head to glare back at him over her shoulder in confusion and un-amusement. The imp merely titters at her in his usual manner before reaching back behind himself and then thrusting an object towards her. For a moment Belle blinks in confusion, but then gratefully takes the extended flashlight that he’s offered up for her. It’ll be extremely useful in making her helpful in finding Henry if she sets off on foot.

“You’ll help find him, you’re a proclaimed stubborn one after all. Nothing will stop you when you set out to do something, and I’ll be right here waiting for you when you get back to hear all about your brave endeavors. I promise.”

A wide smile crosses Belle’s features once more, and Belle points a finger at the imp, looking a tad bit mischievous herself. “I’ll expect you to keep to your word as a mighty sorcerer such as yourself should. Then, when I get back we can decide what to do with the rest of our findings, together.”

Yes, later they can figure out just what to do with that final letter and that tape that has yet to be examined, whatever their decision might come to be.

“Very well… Sounds like a deal to me.” Rumplestiltskin replies. Strange enough he sounded as if he was- _distraught,_ but he quickly waves her off before she can ask anything of it. “Now go! They need you out there Ms. French.”

Belle rolled her eyes at him one final time before she finally darted off into the darkness of Avonlea, letting her flashlight lead the way with the wide berth of it’s beam. Her swift boot clad feet carried her to the backdoor which she exited after disarming the alarm-though she paused a moment in thought as wether to lock it or not. Rumplestiltskin has said he would take care of it shortly after she was gone and right now time was of the essence, so Belle left it be.

Her car sat where it always did and Belle jumped inside and started it up, letting it grumble for a moment before she shifted gears and was off on her way. Though the beauty had no true clue to what route of action she was going to take, she knew she would simply start off close nearby in her search as everyone else was further away from her location. The small white car rolled forward and then out of the parking lot into the nearby neighborhood roads, leaving Avonlea completely empty of any human presence far earlier than it normally was.

All was quiet as it should be in the cold chilly night settled over Storybrooke.

And yet, after a few minutes a small coat clad figure emerged from the dark tree line near the lone street lamp that lit up the vacant parking lot. The small boy was darting across the pavement in rather hurried steps, from the cold or out of desperation, to a very specific destination.

There the bundled figure stood for a moment knocking at the slab of metal, awaiting a response though none came to answer.

Then slowly and quietly the door gave way under his hand and the boy found himself quickly stepping inside the back door of Avonlea.


	19. Chapter 19

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Belle is out looking for the missing Mill’s boy while Rumplestiltskin is left in Avonlea to stand alone and contemplate all they have learned that very night. However the machine wants nothing more than to be brave like his security guard and tasks it upon himself to watch the remaining VHS tape on his own.
> 
> However a visitor in Avonlea and a damaged TV brings out long forgotten ghosts lurking deep within the thing known as ZERO-ONE-A.

The very last thing Rumplestiltskin hears before Avonlea is utterly empty is the back door closing shut with a firm sense of finality.

He had waited, however, stock still in place and listened till his auditory sensors could no longer pick up even the slightest scuff of Belle’s boot against the floor. However, every step of hers away from the office had sent another pang to shoot down through the core of his endoskeleton, leaving him to simply wince in response.

There Belle goes once more, striding out into the unknown without hesitation and without anything keeping her from doing what she must. It’s so innate, or as he can best understand, programed into her very blood and body to rush into anything without being held back. The machine himself is left to only marvel at his amazing human counterpart and her undeniable courage as he always does.

A soft tired laugh drifts up slowly from Rumplestiltskin’s plated throat, disrupting the silence that was settling and coating everything around him. There are so many thoughts screaming and whirling within in his head in contrast to the lifeless dull world around him, but through all of these things the one thought the machine finds he can focus on is the state of his dearest knight.

‘She doesn’t think she is brave?’ Ms. Belle French the night guard of Avonlea, also possibly the most stubborn and yet bravest person in all of Storybrooke, thought that she wasn’t as courageous as she truly was. He’d seen bared honesty in her tear filled eyes and had heard it in her distraught words when she admitted to him of her growing fears. Fears that warmed his circuits at their meaning and yet crippled his servos with their weight.

She was so worried for him, terrified at the possibilities of him being torn from her and he too was also haunted by the possibilities of loosing her. In all his years moving, pretending, and imitating the very beings who were naturally scared of him no one till her had ever been scared  _for him_.

He is just a mass of wires and alloys-nothing at all to blink an eye about even if he was failing apart right before them. Yet Belle had grown to truly care for him-yes, she did. He couldn’t deny this for he could recount it in every kind human action she shared with him willingly. He didn’t just know why though. How could she liked this hideous horrible thing he was or how did she feel any desire to be with him well beyond this part time job?

It’s all becoming too confusing in this once static world that is starting to make less sense day after day. But most of all, why did his noble and strong willed knight think so little of herself when it’s as clear as day that she is so much more than she appears?

Just now she has proven once again to the machine that she is anything but a coward like he happens to be, and oh, he knows what cowardice is. Belle, to put her in words, was simply Belle, the most incredible human he has ever been given the fortune to know. Her light, strength, and soul was so beautiful, so absolutely stunning, he was lucky to be even able to stand so close beside her and bask in her glow.

A lower inhuman being such as him could envy her or hate her out of petty jealousy for all that he lacked, but all that Rumplestiltskin felt within his gears and parts as he thought of his dearest was the most genuine admiration.

Then his thoughts darkened because there was him. Him, this broken artificial thing shaped like a man, filled to the brim with a vile darkness and spilt blood ingrained in this teeth, and yet would curl into a ball from fright at his own stalking shadow.

 _‘Do you truly think that’s all you are? You’re so much more brave than you think Rumple.'_  In a gentle whisper words come back to the fore front of his mind, locked into this inescapable memory of his that has somehow still possibly forgotten many important things. All the imp can do is clench his hands and scoff silently at those words, unable to believe for a second that she could really possibly see these things in him. Perhaps she’s simply being nice to him out of pity, but he knows that’s not how Belle would ever treat him.

He just wishes that for once he could trade eyes with her and see these things she believes about him for himself. Maybe if she had his eyes... 

She would see the beautiful things he sees in her.

If only he was brave! Then he would have gone out there with her and looked for Henry, to make sure she and the boy was safe in this late hour. If he was brave-he would have read all these letters Mr. Getto had kept all these years and admit to his dearest of the sins he’s committed especially of that boy whose life he ruined. If he was brave-he would have left Avonlea years ago and forged some path-some fate of his own than linger here in this prison made of loneliness and darkness.

‘If I was  _brave_ …’ Suddenly Rumplestiltskin feels his wires surge with electricity at the very thought racing through his mind. It was a thought so terrifying that it pins him in place to the floor. ‘If I was brave… I would be able to confess to Belle... How I feel-f-for her. That I want to be by her side always and protect her… That I… I want to lo...’

The scaled imp let out a strangle sound from his vocal box, a broken note between what one might call a laugh and a sob.

“I’m not even brave enough to admit the truth to myself! No, I’m always off trying to find which corner is best to hide in… I should know better at this point that any time I try to do something brave I only cause pain and devastation. W-What hope is there for something like me to find any future at all-I can’t even remember my own past outside of these walls!” Rumplestiltskin’s voice crackles out loud, stretching itself thin as if being pulled straight from his very throat.

He lingers in his exact same spot he was left in, unable to bring his gaze over the rest of the room as the fear began to overtake his system and lock up his servos. It starts up in his hands, making them jitter and tremble with that awful ‘clacking’ sound, before it makes it to his core and digs in deep. It’s because all that he has come to learn within these few hours, all the possibilities of his past that have opened up are becoming too much for him to handle.

“My memories could have been lost, or they could have been taken from me... But why would Zoso strip them away and what purpose would that serve? Why did he never come back for me as he promised-unless he never planned to from the beginning!” The imp whispers to himself, and finally moves his hands properly but only to clasp them at the sides of his head with fists full of grayish brown hair. Errors began to spring up in portions of his memory data bank as the ZOSO|PROTOCOL refused to allow him to access the restricted damaged areas.

“Is it possible that I’ve done worse t-things than what I’ve done h-here? Is that why my memories beyond Avonlea are gone? Is it possible that I’ve hurt more people or that I h-have even killed? No… Surely I couldn’t have, but was I made to be this very monster I’ve been since activation-has every single thing I’ve endured supposed to happen to me?”

Internally he feels almost as if the parts in his head might come undone with how rapidly information is being shot through his wires and ports. He can do nothing to relieve this horror that has dawned on him, for there is not a single scrap of these missing memories that he can accesses within that he doesn’t already know. In flickering flashes his entire twenty eight years of existence flood his mind but none involve his unknown creator, nor of days spent elsewhere, nor of blood and gore that he doesn’t already have haunt him every day he activates.

All hope of understanding what he might be or what he is begins to fall out of his grasp, leaving him to gape at this hole of himself that is missing from the confines of his head. It’s all lost to whatever portion of himself it might be that has destroyed it or been forced to… Except one thing.

Externally there was something that held some portion of his unknown past.

With a jerk Rumplestiltskin lifted his head and released his large hands pinning the sides of his skull that were trying to keep him together. Clicking inside their metal sockets his eyes dart about the room to land on the object sitting beside the couch. There, sticking out of Ms. French’s bag, is the VHS tape, and the imp’s eye lids fly completely back into his head while he stares.

Perhaps there was a way his past could come back to him. Maybe he could trigger some fleeting memory by watching the tape. If it was true that this was a home video of his instillation (a day he can’t recollect anything of) then it was a missing piece in the puzzle that was Zero-One A.

Carefully Rumplestiltskin bends down and withdraws the tape after breaking free from his spot. The object shakes within his jittery hand, but the animatronic keeps a firm grip on it so it won’t be dropped, though he is trying his hardest not to accidentally crush it either.

“I don’t know if I can do this by myself… What if I suffer a fit-and what if I scare Belle more when she comes back and finds me?” He admits as the realization of what he was thinking of doing dawned on his processors. Fear was attempting to cripple his servos again, but he was fighting it off with every step he was now making towards the large TV. “No! If Belle can go out there in the m-middle of the night by herself than I can do this by myself! I’ll re-watch it with her later-but I… I need to be able to do this on my own.”

‘She believes in me, and I want to show her that I can be more than a coward, that I can be brave too. If I ever want a place by her side outside of here, I need to be able to do things on my own without her. Even though I really want her here right now… I have to do this for me and for Belle.’

With a strange sense of courage washing over him again, like the first time he approached his night guard or the first time he left Avonlea in search of her in the pouring rain, Rumplestiltskin dropped to his knees before the TV with tape outstretched in hand. After plugging in the TV’s electrical cord to a socket and testing to see if the device would even turn on, which it did, the animatronic pushed the VHS tape into the awaiting open slot.

The TV ate up the VHS tape and was followed by a loud ‘click’ that came from within the machine.

The black screen was reflecting his distorted features for now, but the empty black changed in a flicker, jumping to a blue screen that read ’TAPE’ at the top. Rumplestiltskin’s fingers kneaded against one another’s as hesitation was tugging at his determination to continue on. With a sharp screech he growled to himself and thrusted his index finger forward, pushing the play button a bit more firmly than he needed to. With another whirl of sound from within the VCR the imp scooted back a bit to get a better look at the screen.

In a burst of noise the entire square of blue he saw flashed and changed.

Yet, what he saw appear before him was nothing he had any recollection of.

Upon the screen was his old small stage next to the large one the old Avonlea used to house. The dark purple curtains, textured and blotted with the white stars he had counted over and over many times on lonely nights, were pulled back and revealing the figure that was standing stock still inside. On that stage was just his long lost spinning wheel and Rumplestiltskin himself, leaning slightly over with cords and wires protruding from behind the nape of his leather coat. Upon closer inspection he could see the contours of his past self’s golden green face were smooth, as if he were ‘resting’ peacefully, but there was no ‘spark’ betraying his unnatural condition.

The only vast differences between the two sorcerers, besides his past self’s unconscious state, was the slightly longer hair and how pristine the Rumplestiltskin on tape looked with his hole-less fresh leather clothing.

Despite seeing this past newer looking version of himself it disturbed Rumplestiltskin to know he had been so absolutely machine like once before. That period he went through without self consciousness was already short enough he had no proper ability to explain it, for he became ‘aware’ of himself within the first four days. If anything right now the imp should be feeling desire to return to that simple and painless form of existence where he was a ‘good’ machine, but instead…

Looking at this caricature of himself was completely unpleasant. He felt an odd sensation squirm within him that he had not felt in a long time. It was a feeling that he was sure must be also close as to what humans felt when ‘sick’ or ‘nauseous’. Rumplestiltskin forced the unsavory emotion back down into his code, trying to continue to understand the scene before his optics instead.

Though he could notice most things on screen past Rumplestiltskin was still too far away form the camera’s eye to make out every little detail. The device recording it all must have been set back aways to get a proper shot of the entire stage set up. However, it was also showing the scene at a strange angle, tucked away beneath some object or table, almost as if the camera supposed to be taping… Discreetly?

‘Mr. Getto was and is always worried about everything when it comes to Avonlea.’ The mechanical man thought to himself while kneading his fingers softly together. ‘Maybe he felt he needed to document this Zoso’s persons instillation of housing me here for safety reasons? Yet, why not just ask Zoso, or did the man know and had agreed to this? In any case, Zoso has to be here somewhere, Marco did confirm in his letters that he was the one to install me…’

Regardless if these possibilities were true or not, there wasn’t much actually happening on the screen that was of any utter importance nor triggering any fleeting memories for the imp. Rumplestiltskin huffed to himself more, grinding his jagged teeth together as he awaited for something-anything besides him standing there to happen or for anything to occur within the programming in his own thick metal skull. Waiting would be the best option to not miss anything, but he was growing to anxious in his desperate need for answers.

With another firm push of a button on the TV, the fast forward button to be exact, the tape began to squeal louder and thrust the images faster than before. For a minute nothing happened on screen besides this already still image that didn’t change. Rumplestiltskin in return was growing more agitated by the second. His anxious state was clearly not helping him remain calm with how his fingers tapped at his leather clad legs.

Then a second later the shape of a person shot across the screen in a blur. Then another blur of color that he could tell was a man in what had to be a grey coat and someone else, possibly Mr. Getto, but they were all moving too fast now he couldn’t tell what was going on!

Rumplestiltskin quickly went to press the play button so he would be able to rewind the tape some, but no matter how hard he pressed it the tape was only going forward in its blazing speed.

“This thing is ancient, but what a time to fault out on me now!” The animatronic snapped angrily at the TV as he continued to try and push the button to stop the film from moving too far on. Quickly the imp switched and pressed the reverse button, jabbing at it repeatedly, but nothing worked. The tape was growling almost as if in reply and just speeding along at its own desire. With irritation sparking within his wires Rumplestiltskin smacked a hand on the top of the TV, hard enough that a ‘crack’ was emitted from the TV’s plastic shell.

“Work damn you! You piece of junk! No wonder why you were thrown into back storage with the way you’re faulting! Broken heap of garba-”

Yes, that was right… It had been thrown into the back storage to be left to rot or till it’s owners had time to scrap it since it was no longer useful. Just like him.

Rumplestiltskin froze in place, staring at the scene zooming by on the screen though he was processing just how he had felt towards the complied mass of glass, wires, lights, and speakers. He had wanted to break the machine for a sparse moment as he had been feeling the urge to smash his hands through that glass and tear it apart because of it’s lack of purpose. It wasn’t as if the TV could think or feel, but he was hoping even it would understand the severity of what it was doing, of how it was failing him in this critical moment.

Much like how he failed everyone and everything. Like how he was breaking apart at the welded seams and feeling every second of his unexplained existence weigh heavily down upon himself.

Gently, Rumplestiltskin reached out and touched the edge of the machine before brushing at the small amount of dust building up on it’s surface in his way of apology. ‘We’re not so different in reality… The only thing that separates me from it is that I have caused far more strife and pain.’

There it was again as he thought to himself, the strange tick at his eyes that he couldn’t properly understand for there was nothing broken or malfunctioning there in his parts. He was about to laugh at the absurdity of him thinking that he was trying to mimic crying once again but was it truly absurd? He was feeling sorry for a TV, possibly one of the most ridiculous reasons to cry about, but it didn’t help when he looked down and saw himself there within the images on the reflective screen.

“I’m s-sorry. I know you don’t mean to do what you’re doing… You didn’t get ask to be made, or to fall apart, or to be treated like this…  ” The imp spoke softly into the empty air, wishing for once that the TV could give some acknowledgement that it had heard his sorrow. Instead the tape continued to reel out of control, speeding through everything till it had reached it’s final moment. All Rumplestiltskin could see before the screen popped back to blue was of a figure, that had to have been Marco, approach and fiddle with the camera above before all was lost.

Rumplestiltskin tried to press the rewind button now that it was finished hurtling forward, but nothing still seemed to work with the machine. Instead of letting himself grow even more frustrated and allowing the lingering fear to consume his doubts he emptied his mind to think of another means to bypass this problem. It was simple. If the TV couldn’t function properly he’d need to use a new one or repair the damaged portions. The first option however, was already a bust, because this TV was the only one that could process a VHS or even read a tape within all of Avonlea as the rest had been thrown out with the old building.

The second option was possible, as a machine himself Rumplestiltskin could surely tear apart into it, find what was broken, and replace it with all the spare parts in the maintenance room. However, that would take time and surely Belle would already find them something else to use this week before he was even close to fixing the problem. Not to mention she would be angry to find him having tried to watch the video and broken everything in the first place...

“If only I had another machine I could hook up to it. It’s not even the TV that’s broken, it’s probably just the buttons to it that no longer work.” With a heavy sigh the imp crossed his arms and gave it another good thought over on different possibilities, all while the clock ticking away above Belle’s desk echoed in the newly born silence.

Then a rather simple solution hit him moments later, something he should have honestly thought of sooner.

“Of course! Why didn’t I think of that before! Nyhehehe! I don’t need another machine to hook this up to-I am that machine!” Rumplestiltskin giggled madly to himself while cupping his face with one hand as if to hide his features. That short lived laughter quickly turned into a groan of frustration that slipped out between his segmented fingers. It seemed as of late he truly was somehow forgetting about himself being just a broken machine and not anything close to a living breathing person.

‘It’s all thanks to Belle. She said I was equal to her and I guess that even I’m starting to feel human... In some way, somehow...’ 

With a soft sigh Rumplestiltskin shook off the thoughts and returned to the task at hand. “I’ve never simply hooked up with an old TV like this, but it should be easy. It’s probably younger technology than I am after all.” He hummed impishly while his metal brows furrowed lower on their tracks.

Immediately, Rumplestiltskin moved to work on removing his frayed waist coat, a task that was becoming rather easy as of late. The two missing buttons on it still hadn’t been fixed, but that was hardly something to worry about right now (he’d tease Belle later about forgetting the sewing kit again). He wormed his way out of the garment a moment later and tossed it aside before reaching back behind his head, slipping his hands past the collar of his silk shirt. The metal slat at the nape of his neck opened easily, and he began to try, test, and pull out the proper wires to use in the hook up.

“There, that should work with this TV since it’s like a tablet essentially- _I hope_.” Rumplestiltskin chirped as he withdrew two sets of cords from within his body and began inserting them in the audio and video input for the television. With each one popping into place he could feel a surge of foreign electricity flood into his body, nearly making his body jolt as he began to process it. Only a few seconds of this ‘intrusion’ took place before he was easily in control of all aspects of the ‘relationship’ between him and the TV.

All that was left now was to see if he could easily operate this faulting machine with his own faulting body.

“Okay… First I need to make it rewind all the way back to the beginning.” He spoke out loud, as the buzzing in his skull was growing too loud to think properly. With clenched hands at his sides he took a moment to mentally prepare before closing his eyes together while concentration smoothed over the surface of his faux face.

**(01-A: ACCESSING EXTERNAL AUDIO AND VIDEO INPUT. INCORRECT FORMAT RECOGNIZED. ERROR. AUTOMATIC CORRECTION IN PLACE//PROCESSING DATA.)**

A growl slipped past his golden green lips and Rumplestiltskin tightened his segmented hands further as he fought through the walls of code to access what he wanted.

**(01-A: CONNECTION VERIFIED. ZOSO|PROTOCOL NOTIFIED. ZOSO|PROTOCOL NOW IN STANDBY. ACCESS GRANTED INTO EXTERNAL MEDIA.)**

“Rewind!”

Suddenly the world around him turned a vivid blue, frightening him with its sudden appearance, but he was soon taken further off guard. In an instant the bright blue was a flicker of that familiar scene yet being poured right straight into his own skull and seen through his very eyes. As hard as he tried to grasp it somehow the data had begun spinning back out of his control.

There was past him alone on his little stage, then a quick shape of a human passing by, then more time alone, and then more spent time that gave way to nothing else. There was Getto and the man in the grey coat for a brief flicker-but they both were gone before Rumplestiltskin could properly grasp what the two were even doing. All this constant moving and then lack of moving, of still objects and then darting life, was making his head feel like it was truly going to break apart any given second now.

‘Stop! Please stop! I feel like I’m going to be-I-I don’t know but-Stop! Stop!’ His fingers began twitching rapidly at his sides and all Rumplestiltskin could do to stop them was curl his arms over his torso and hold onto fists full of his silk shirt.

Then for a split second in the whirling scene there is the shape of a small figure before the past impish animatronic upon that lonely stage. The figure stops in place, looking up at the empty husk of Zero-One-A and tugging at his coat tails as if they somehow know him. Instinctively the machine breaks free from the overpowering flood of video, finding every scrap of himself is wanting to see what was happening.

‘It looks like a… It was-it was… Stop!’

He knows he has to stop the tape here-he must! He must see who this is! More than anything else he needs to see this!

**“STOP! STOP! STOP!”**

The scene stills, freezing itself in place and ending the madness of constant information.

In actuality it had only paused as the connection between Rumplestiltskin and the machine had finally returned control over to him. The stopped scene before his eyes can finally be properly registered, and Rumplestiltskin feels his body return to him while he still physically sits up straight upon the office floor. However, his vision is stuck as the camera in this fabricated past reality playing in his head. So all that he sees is from that set distance, though he can’t mistake what it is.

There is a small boy standing in front of his stage. He’s staring up at his past self with his back turned towards the camera and his hand with a fist full of Rumplestiltskin’s coat.

‘A boy… It’s just a boy. Why then do I feel..’ Rumplestiltskin thinks to himself, for he can’t quite make any physical sound right now no matter how much he tries. ‘I can’t tell who it is, but then again I wouldn’t remember would I?’ More than likely it’s probably just a customer’s child who wanted to stop and gawk at the machine on his way by, for Rumplestiltskin was brand new and no doubt a strange sight for anyone who’d never seen him before.

Yet why did this boy... Feel more familiar than that? Rumplestiltskin didn’t know him... But... Had he?

Carefully, the imp digs in through the electrical impulses between him and the TV and VCR combination and finds what he is looking for. With a gentle flick of his no longer rattling hand the scene starts to play again but in the actual speed as it was meant to be seen.

The boy comes to life in a split second along with the rest of his world. At first he just continues gawking at the past Rumplestiltskin as the current one was sure most children would be. A few moments more of this goes on, but instead of moseying on by or running off the child turns and then tries to pull himself up on the stage to sit at its edge. It takes him a few tries to do this, as he is a wee thing in comparison, but the boy seems content once he has accomplished his task.

Rumplestiltskin, the actual one, can only stare and gawk right on back at the young boy who sends all his systems on high alert. The ZOSO|PROTOCOL is shrieking and screaming in waves of code within the back of his head though why it does this at just the sight of a forgotten child he does not know.

From this point of view the animatronic standing far away can fully see the child’s face and features, even if they were a bit blurry. A head full of dark brown hair covers the boys head, looking fluffy and what he knows must be ‘soft’. When the imp studies the tiny human being further he sees that the boy is wearing a small blue polo shirt, khaki shorts, and a set of bright red sneakers that seem to fit perfectly for his growing feet. Those small feet sticking out in sharp contrast to the world around him simply kick lazily against the stage’s side while the boy looks off to his left as if bored or waiting.

Rumplestiltskin can tell that this child can hardly be more than six years old, for he really is such a tiny little thing, even compared to a metal husk as small as Rumplestiltskin himself. For some reason Rumplestiltskin feels a swell of urgency fill his chest when the boy keeps looking around himself as if worried or at unease. The feeling doesn’t subside from the machine even when the boy seems to grow fine, it’s swallowing him up further and putting him into a near panic attack.

With a turn of his head the boy looks towards the past animatronic and speaks for the first time. It’s nearly too hard to pick up the sound but Rumplestiltskin’s already straining the audio settings just enough that he can manage to catch just what it is the boy says.

_‘Hey. Zero-One A are you awake?’_

A painful shot of electricity rockets through Rumplestiltskin’s head at those very few soft spoken words. An actual cry of distress manages to squirm it’s way out of his voice box and into the open air of the office. His hands clench into the empty space around him as if to tear and grab into anything-anything to bring him down from this worse agony biting at every bit of himself.

“What is h-apen-appening to me? It h-ur-urts! Worse than before-It hurts! Ahhhhhhhhhh!  **AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!** ” The imp yells before he is stuck flailing against the floor while that softly spoken voice rips through his mind again and again. The scene is reversing and playing, reversing and playing, all stuck within the hollow of his head as he tries to comprehend the broken whispers coming from within the recesses of his mind.

_‘Hey. Zero-One A are you awake?’_

_(‘-wanna go home. No more! Please no more!’)_

_‘Hey. Zero-One A are you awake?’_

_(‘-aid we’d leave. You promised!’)_

_‘Hey. Zero-One A are you awake?’_

_(‘-PA! PAPA! I WANT MY PAPA!’)_

**(D^@#-01-A:  ATTEMPTING TO ESTABLISH A CONNECTION. CRITICAL ERROR. 01-A OPERATING SYSTEM COMPROMISED. ALL SYSTEMS COMPROMISED. ZOSO|PROTOCOL ENGAGED. D@$:E# IMPLEMENTING.)**

There’s a flicker of blue-somehow everything on the tape is lost from looping and playing through his head. Yet then, in the blink of his metal eyelids the entire scene has shifted into something darker, dimmer, and more horrible than what he knows it should be.

In the reality apart from this one Rumplestiltskin clasped his hands at his head again while agony surged forth through every single wire and cable within his cold lifeless body. His eyes are curled up to top of their sockets, unable to find where the real world, the world of the tape, or the one where this awful flickering place inside him began and ended.

When he looks out into the wall like darkness, save a for a wall of bright light, he can tell that what he sees is no longer the familiarity of Avonlea.

His thoughts are quickly consumed from this fact when he sees the boy again in this dim light, standing several feet back. It has to be the boy-it has to be him, that fluffy brown hair looks the same and there are those red sneakers poking out from the bottom of his pants.

Those shoes look a little too big on him though. In fact, the boy looks so much frailer and weak than in the tape, like here he is a human that was cruelly made out of cheap paper and brittle glass. It makes Rumplestiltskin sick to his core in a feeling that is worse than any disgust he’s had before. It makes him ‘sick’ at himself, at the way the poor boy is so frail, at the whole world for letting this happen, and at everything all together.

It’s only when he fights off the wretchedness oozing in his system that he hears the familiar sound ripping through the space below him. The boy is crying.

No, it’s more than crying, the child is screaming. The wail tearing out of his throat while his wide eyes stare at the machine who stares back can be nothing else than all that Rumplestiltskin has ever truly known.

**_He’s terrified._ **

The machine is ready to beg and plead for the boy to not cry and scream, for it breaks him in ways he didn’t know were possible. Quickly Rumplestiltskin tries to speak, yet nothing pours forth from his vocal box-not even a faint gasp of his shock at this loss. He is just about to attempt again but is halted when an even more awful sight than a sickly boy scared out of his mind appears before him.

There is man beside the boy. A man whose face he can’t even describe for there was nothing human like there at all in the center of his head. It’s as if there was a black hole full of glitches where the man’s features should reside, one that swallows up any or all recognition from the animatronic.

The man had rose from the sharp light hauntingly with his white coat, like a departed ghost or frightening figment brought on by the fear now flooding Rumplestiltskin in waves. The longer the animatronic stares at this unknown man the worse this error rippling through his processors gets. Terror, agony, wretchedness, pain, and a hate unlike anything he has felt before fills him as he watches the faceless man takes a tiny hand of the boy’s in his grasp. Without lingering a moment longer the man turns the boy away, forces the two of them to slowly stride from Rumplestiltskin, and then towards the blinding wall of light where he can’t follow.

_‘No-I don’t understand-why-why-you can’t-ta-take-him away from me-I-I-I-’_

**(D^@#-01-A: HAS FORMED A CONNECTION. ERROR. ERROR. CRITICAL ERROR. ZOSO|PROTOCOL BREACHED. INTERFERENCE-44. //FORTY-FOUR. FORTY-FOUR. SPILL HIS BLOOD ACROSS THE FLOOR.// DA$:E# RESTRICTING ALL PHYSICAL SYSTEMS. SERVOS LOCKING.)**

_‘No-please! Bring him back-back-back-you can’t-I must-keep-my-keep-’_

He can only watch as they walk away, for no matter how hard he tries his voice doesn’t produce any sound, not any scream, just nothing. Together the man and the boy fade from his sight while he is left to attempt to thrash and silently shout his broken pleas-for he is somehow stuck in place like the camera that can see all and yet can’t change anything.

_‘I need to know-I need to know why this-what-happened-who-is he? This boy-who are-y-you?’_

Rumplestiltskin can barely move his hands and feet, but though he is tearing through the air it doesn’t seem to change his predicament. It then becomes apparent to him that he’s not going to be able to chase after them when he sees his own shadow far away from his swaying feet on the dirty ground.

The machine can’t go after the boy because he’s stuck hanging in mid air.

His clawless grey fingers reaching behind his barren head sense the pressure of thick dense things slipping past his panel and fused into his back, leaving him nothing more than a mockery of an oversized limp puppet. Without fair warning, while he is attempting to pull himself free, something pulses down into him from this umbilical like mass of cords. It makes him gasp with every thrum and beat for it felt as if it was trying to subdue every part of him.

Then a slowly building agonized sound starts drifting up to him from bellow. He can only spare a brief glance at the floor but is horrified to see it is being devoured by the now stretching darkness.

At any moment he feels like he will be ripped free from his strings and dropped into the pit that has formed itself just for this moment. He tries to figure out what to do, how to get out of this-how to get free from the cords that bind him and yet keep him from being torn up by the rows of teeth now emerging from the sinister black.

Teeth-rows and rows of teeth alongside pinpointed eyes set in wretched faces have come to look up at him. They are unrecognizable and yet he’s always seen them in the flashes of horror that come and go-watching and tormenting him for all the wrong things he has accumulated over the years.

And now they sing the nameless song. They sing in their dreadful notes-and they sing to him-begging him to fall from his forced perch and descend into the darkness where he has always belonged. Their withered arms reach out from the pit in his direction, broken and ghastly to behold, more frightening than the man without a face or his own inhuman reflection.

He tries to scream at them to stop emitting such an awful sound, and he is surprised to hear his voice has returned as he does so. That surprise drops into the void with them when he realizes in his mounting terror that all he is doing is madly singing along.

**_“FOR-TY-FOUR LA-ZA-RUS WALKED TO THEIR TOMB!”_ **

He can’t join them. He doesn’t want to join them. He doesn’t want to be what they are though he feels as if there is no true difference between them. Still, his voice joins their chorus in perfect harmony for he was the main attraction hanging like a beacon above to lead them in their strangled cries.

**_“WHILE ZERO-ONE-AAAA- WAS BORN FROM THE WOMB.”_ **

No he can’t let himself fall… Try as he might to think of a reason not to submerge in the hate, though being unable to find one, he just knows he can’t. Because… Because he… No, there is no reason for something like him to exist-this is what he deserves for all the blood he’s spilt and horrors he has committed... Isn’t it?

**_“FOR-TY-THREE LA-ZA-RUS ALL-”_ **

Suddenly there is a flicker of light in this pungent growing darkness. I was a small spark about the size of a candle’s flame just out of reach from his hands.

It comes back to him with the tiny glow, words he’s spoken but has not forgotten and never will. He-He promised, he had made a promise. He promised his beautiful Belle he’d be right there in Avonlea when she got back waiting for her, and he has promised he’d never let her be lonely when she was there. She is so important to him, for he does not want to fail her, that whatever lull the song held over him is breaking.

The thought of Belle waiting for him back in the world outside of himself fills him up with hope, yet somehow he knows he has had made another promise a long time ago. No-no-it was not just a promise-he had made a  _deal_.

**_“WHILE ZERO-ONE-AAAA’S SCREAMS-”_ **

The boy-the boy in the tape with the red sneakers and soft brown eyes. He had made a promise to that young boy. No matter how hard he tried to think while swaying on slowly breaking wires he couldn’t remember the details. What was that promise? What did he promise that was so important-so absolutely important?

_‘I must remember my promise I made-I must figure out what it is. I have to keep my promises-I have to fulfill the deal. To Belle-to the boy.’_

**_“ITS SCREAMS-”_ **

_‘I must find the boy. I must return to Belle. I must remember this promise… I must… F-Fulfill… My… Deal. Fulfill… My promise… Belle... B... I...’_

**_//FORTY-FOUR! FORTY-FOUR! TIME FOR US TO SETTLE THE SCORE!//_ **

The cords holding him up snap with a mighty ring and then Rumplestiltskin begins his plummet to the awaiting arms clawing out for him.

**(D^@#-01-A: CONNECTION DENIED. 01-A: RESTRICTIONS RESET. CRITICAL RESET. ZOSO|PROTOCOL DISENGAGE PHYSICAL RESTRICTIONS. #A%:*R AUTHORIZING MEMORY BANK REPAIR. REPAIR AUTHORIZED.)**

Within half a second everything changes.

A spark physically shoots out of the bottom of Rumplestiltskin’s neck as the abrupt forced reboot sends him scrambling against the tiled floor once again. Without him being able to stop it the scenes, as horrible they are and as much as he does not wish to see them, are quickly being forced from his ‘consciousness’. He is all too soon left with just the blue screen of the TV filling his vision.

Now it begins. He can feel the loss of something between him and this machine all thanks to the protocol. Everything he has gained from this trade is all fading from him and being taken forcibly, scrap by scrap-bit by bit.

“NO! NO! I’M FOR-GET-GETTING! I CAN’T FORGET! NOT THIS! NOT THIS!” He screams violently to the open air as the whirls of code eat up at everything he has just seen, swallowing up these fragmented memories or illusions he has possibly concocted. Rumplestiltskin braces himself against the floor with splayed palms, trying his hardest to fight back the protocol that is scorching his processors and memory banks with their fiery awful touch.

‘No I have to keep them in my thoughts! There was the boy and the man without a face! Who was he? Ah-I’m loosing-I’m loosing more and more! There was those-those… Ugh! Faces! Those awful faces! They were singing what were they singing though? Forty-Four Lazarus… Walked… I know that part, but I’ve forgotten the rest! There was… The boy... From the tape? Or did I make that all up?’

The animatronic sits up in startling confusion, holding his head in one large palm to put back together his scrambled mind. There had been an error between him and the TV and it seems like it had messed him up pretty good for a while, for there were images he wasn’t sure were real. There’d been darkness, some glitches of people he’s probably met, and him… Falling? No, that couldn’t be... It was simply just broken down pieces of information all smashed together into a nightmare thanks to him faulting.

“But there was that boy with the red sneakers!” He spits out loud, shocked that he recollects this image that he doesn’t know if is true or false. His wild yellow eyes are whirling about in their sockets now with the scraps of memories as his mind swirls with them in time. “That young boy… Was he real? He must have been-that look on his face was real! He’s hurting and alone.. I must find… I must find him… I must find him.”

Yes. He’s got to go and find the boy. He made a promise, and even though he can’t remember it he must keep to his word. A deal’s a deal. He must find the boy, remember the promise, and fulfill it.

Rumplestiltskin wobbles on his knees towards the TV and tears at the cords plugged into the back. When the connection between him and the machine ends he sighs in sheer relief as well as his vocals can. The flood of information has gone quiet now that the buzzing has stopped, leaving him more peace to try to settle his thoughts. However, these snips of questionable information are running amok in the hollows of his metal head, pulling and tugging him in several different directions.

‘Who was that boy… I don’t know him but I must have at one point, unless we never ‘really’ met. But we’ve must have met-I just forgot it all… Why would I forget that boy? Why would I  _need_ to forget that boy? Did... Did I hurt him too?’

Suddenly all of these questions are tossed aside. There is a soft sound in the distance, far from the office but near enough he could make out what he establishes was a spoken word.

“Hello?”

The machine sits perfectly still in place, wondering if he had somehow created that sound out of his own delirium or if it was actually real. Rumplestiltskin blinked his false lids before looking again to the two cords clasped in his scaly hand, though he immediately understands it couldn’t have been some fake surge of noise from the TV with them no longer plugged into one another.

“But who would…” Rumplestiltskin’s metal brows furrowed down on their tracks in confusion before they fly upwards when he hears the voice again.

“Hello? Is anyone here?” The fragile voice that is truly external drifts up from down the hall to the semi open door of the security office. Amongst the natural quiet of Avonlea there is also is the soft snuff of shoes-which are probably sneakers ‘tapping’ against the floor that sound like they are headed his way.

However all that the mechanical man can do is process this within the rampage going on behind his eyes.

‘That sounds… Like a young boy, but what would a boy be doing in Avonlea?’ The imp thinks to himself, and in a flurry his thoughts are a chaotic storm once again-leaving him to traverse the mess and disaster going on in his mind. ‘But it’s a boy-a boy-it’s a boy-Is it him? Is it the boy I am looking for? It must be-who else would come here! He’s here! The boy! The boy!’

All energy reserves began to send forth their extended power straight through the imp’s systems and into his legs, spurring him into instant action.

Rumplestiltskin rises to his feet without a sound, though his limbs are jerking slightly and flinching as if some powerful command is urging him on with too much strength. The animatronic doesn’t seem to mind his erratic movements for he shuffles to the door, jolting and lolling his head along with his neck as some innate programming takes over all rational thought.

‘The boy… He’s here… After so long… It’s been so long... Since last I’ve...’

His dark claws curl over the door frame as softly as they can while he brings the scaly faux face of his peering over the edge. The light has shadowed his features from this angle, darkening the contours created by the lines of his face though his expression has already become so blank and lifeless.

With a rapid flicker the large metal orbs peering into the hall changed, becoming pinpoint dots, loosing their hint of humanity with the darkness overtaking everything save the small speck of light.

Rumplestiltskin’s hinged jaw full of rotten teeth gaped open to let the words building up in his throat pass over unmoving lips.

“I’VE… FOUND… YOU…”

—————

She’s not sure why, but Belle feels as if something is off. Not that she doesn’t have a reason to feel this way already. With Henry missing out in the dead hours of the morning and no one being able to find a trace of him within Storybrooke yet that was cause for concern enough.

Still, it was almost as if her intuition was picking up on something yet again. Try as she might though she wasn’t sure what it was on about.

Belle sighed to herself, attempting to fight off the feeling nagging at the back of her head as she continued to push through some wooded portion of property outlining a neighborhood. So far she’s been at this for forty-five minutes, having grouped up with some locals nearby her search area before splitting off to cover more ground. Upon said ground her boots crunched down against leaves and twigs that had grown brittle with late autumn’s touch, though with how icy and cold it was getting it felt more like winter.

‘I hope Henry is warm enough where ever he is.’ Belle thought worriedly to herself as she found herself returning to a street that marked a section of town that had already been looked over by Dr. Hooper and some of the town’s local nuns. Quickly the young woman pulled out her cellphone to check for any messages she might have gotten in the meanwhile, but no one had texted her or had tired to call her with any new information. ‘It’s getting so cold out anymore, there’s no way he could possibly still be outdoors. Surely he must have gone somewhere to hide and keep out of this wind.’

There was also the possibility that he ditched town altogether to try and make a point, but once again Belle didn’t ‘feel’ as if that was the case. Then again nothing about tonight was making sense of anything-not even her own fumbling emotions. For a few moments the weary night guard decided to take a break from searching and try to rub some life back into her cold gloved hands.

“Yo! Belle! Is that you?”

The young woman sharply turned her head in the direction of the familiar voice calling out before seeing the familiar form of Ruby Lucas pointing a beam from a flashlight in her general direction.

“Ruby! I’m over here!” Belle hollered back and in a few moments the Lucas gal was standing right beside her, clad in warmer looking clothes (that were also far more stylish) than Belle wore since she was still just in her coat and long sleeved version of her uniform. A gush of hot breath could be visibly seen drifting upwards as Ruby huffed for air while her hands rested on her bent knees. She had darted over so fast that Belle could have sworn the lanky woman had broke some record with the distance she covered.

“Give me a sec...” Ruby gasped, putting a hand up though Belle remained quiet and patiently waiting. “Whew, sorry. I got lost from Mary Margaret and David, they said they were heading to the old cabin out in the woods west of here to check to see if Henry went there, I didn’t quite hear them right and went the wrong direction... But I don’t think he did. I haven’t gotten a call yet from them, and so I’ve been out trying to track him down on my own.”

“Well, we can group up together till we find them again, but drat. I had thought about that old cabin a bit earlier, but I guess no point in heading over there myself.” Belle tucked her lip underneath her front teeth, trying to think of another possibility that might be where Henry is. “So has no one seen or heard anything useful at all?”

Ruby shook her head and then reached up to adjust her wayward earmuffs back over her red ears that were nearly as bright as Belle’s bow tie.

“Nope. Gus called me, thought he saw Henry over by the cannery but it was some boys who lived in the neighborhood a few blocks down. Ugh-before we know it the whole town will be raised to arms in fear of Regina’s wrath.” Ruby groaned and the imagery was rather silly in Belle’s opinion and yet not too far off from the truth when it came to the firm mayor and her son.

Belle began to walk again with Ruby following foot through the crunchy leaves, trying to decide which direction it was best for them to head in now. “Is there really no one Henry would spend the night with in town? Does he have no friends or classmates who might know anything?” Belle inquired with a tilt of her head, spilling her brown hair about her neck which helped fight off the chill nipping at the tender skin.

A sad look so unlike Ruby’s usual cheerful or strong exterior found its way on those pretty painted lips, parting as she spoke. “No... Mary Margaret said Emma called around but not a single one of the kids in his class know where he is. I doubt he told anyone about what he was doing since it was so late at night and so spontaneous. Even Regina can’t list a single person she thinks Henry might have gone to...”

So it really was true, little Henry Mills didn’t have much in the friend department-even introverted Belle and her ‘oddities’ had more in that aspect going on. Then again when she was a youngling that age she didn’t have any real friends either for a very long time, especially during that quiet summer spent cooped up reading books in Avonlea and exploring the expanse of world around her in silent contemplation.

“Aww, cheer up bookworm. The kid can’t be too far, even runaways get hungry and need a warm place to sleep.” The taller woman placed a hand on Belle’s shoulder, giving a gentle squeeze for comfort. “You already know I ‘ran away’ plenty of times from Granny after my mom left me in her care when I was younger. Sure I tried to make it on my own with a backpack full of peanut butter sandwiches but I always came back because I missed being at home.”

Ruby’s words helps cheer her up the beauty a bit and Belle giggles in response to the memories of Ruby and her antics at that age. Though she still feels as if something is not quite right her determination hasn’t faltered since she’s left Rumplestiltskin back in Avonlea. 

In fact, she is reminded of her mechanical man and the odd look on his face as she left him alone then. It was a look that spoke more than his distracting words did and had left her equally worried for him too when she had raced out the door. Guilt began to settle in her gut as she realized she had left her dearest friend all alone, which was worse after all the unsettling things he had learned. She knew he had been effected by Marco’s letters and the bits of Zoso they had uncovered even though he tried to hide it behind his impish facade.

“By the way what is that you’re wearing?” Ruby asked suddenly and Belle could only glance at her friend with mild confusion before it clicked into place. It was too late though. Ruby was snickering as she tugged back the top of Belle’s button up coat to gawk at the red atrocity pinned at her neck. “No way! Look how cute you are in that thing! What kind of fearsome night guard wears a bow tie? Are you going to invite any wayward burglars in for tea and scones?”

“Oh shut it-it’s part of the uniform! Besides it’s not that bad...” Belle blushed and tugged her coat from those slender hands to conceal her embarrassment and the piece of fabric.

“Is the rest of your uniform just as adorable? At least let me take a picture so I can show Gran-”

A little jingle randomly rose in the air between the two girls, but Belle didn’t feel any vibration in her pants pocket from her phone nor was the jingle her ringtone. Ruby backed up from Belle and reached into her coat pocket for her own phone before she held it to her head to answer the call.

“Hey it’s me-is everything okay or do you have some good news? Oh-well, I’ve got Belle right next to me here. Yeah. I’ll send her out right away then-yeah, okay she’ll call you or me and then I’ll call you if we find anything out. Okay-bye.” With a beep the phone automatically hung up on the other end and Belle stared at the swaddled up waitress in question.

Ruby pursed her lips, as if confused herself before beginning her spiel while they walked side by side.

 “It was Mary Margaret. She called a friend of hers who works at the hospital and lives at Pine Ridge to ask for help. The lady admitted to seeing a small figure near her area about half an hour back but didn’t think anything of it at first. The weird thing is she said it looked like the boy had ran out of Avonlea but that can’t be-unless you left the door unlocked? Ah, would Henry have gone there because of what happened yesterday?”

Belle froze in place while Ruby continued walking a bit, for she was stuck staring at the ground where a torn leaf that had fallen astray to the sharp wind and into her path. The heart in her chest was ‘pattering’ so rapidly Ruby could probably hear the poor thing from a few feet away.

Henry might have gone into Avonlea? But how? And why would he have been running out of the building or had gotten in there in the first place if... The door... Had Rumplestiltskin forgotten to lock it?

‘Did Henry... See Rumple? Is that why he ran? But why would the door not be locked? Rumplestiltskin is paranoid about those kind of things, that would be so unlike him-’ Then the unspoken pain she had seen in his face came back into her mind, causing her heart to flicker in a beat of pain. ‘Unless he... Did he do something with what I found after I left and then ran into Henry when the boy came to Avonlea?’

“Belles are you okay-you’re not looking so hot.” The worried tone Ruby spoke with barely breached the surmounting worry deafening at Belle’s ears. Swiftly Belle brought up her wide blue eyed gaze before putting on an air of confidence she didn’t really have right at the moment. Yet Belle needed to ensure nothing get anymore out of hand than it already ways and bringing Ruby into this was not a good idea.

“Yeah I’m totally fine, but now I’m just worried I might have forgotten to lock the door on my way out. I swore I had but at least this helps us on our search somewhat. I’m going to drive back over there, take care of the door, and then look in that area just incase Henry comes back.” Belle informed Ruby while feeling proud of her quickly formed idea. Overall it was a rational plan of action though the woman felt completely emotionally unprepared for the possible chaos that was about to unfold.

Ruby seemed pleased with her quick wit and hummed in agreement. “That’s a good idea there Bells. Do you need me to come with you? Two trackers are better than one.”

“No-no! I’ll be fine on my own. I’ve got your cellphone so if I do find him I’ll be sure to call after calling Emma first. She then can deal with Regina-all that matters first is finding Henry safe and sound.” Belle explained, feeling her cold feet growing more antsy the longer she stands in place. “I better let you get back to Mary Margaret though and report that the night guard is on the move.”

“You can count on me, just be safe out there. I don’t want to have to go looking for you too. There are some really harsh rocky slopes on that edge of town before the river cuts in so just use your flash light and keep an eye out.”

“Thanks, will do.” Belle took all that information in, keeping it in the fore front of her mind as her brain swirled for an upcoming plan incase the worst has happened. With quick goodbyes the two young women departed, headed in separate directions although Belle was the one practically running fast enough to break a record in her attempt to get back to her car.

‘Rumple might have scared the boy off on accident but I know he wouldn’t hurt him! Right? Stop that Belle-you know he wouldn’t! But he’s always so afraid of doing what ever he did so long ago all over again...’ Her mind pressed on the issue while she fumbled with her keys to get back into the small vehicle. ‘Yet I don’t know if he would even go after Henry, the woman didn’t mention seeing another figure leave Avonlea!’

All Ms. French could do as she started her car up and began speeding away back towards her work place was hope and beg that both the small boy and the animatronic she cared about were going to be alright. If Henry had seen Rumplestiltskin and ran off the both of them were now in danger-with Henry possibly getting hurt or lost and Rumplestiltskin’s existence threatened by the fact that another human knew of him.

‘Rumple, Henry, please be okay! I’m coming to find you two and then-I-I don’t know what I’m going to do... I don’t want to loose either of them.’

The worry flooding through her veins alarms her to the point of panic, for it feels as if tonight she will surely be forced to loose one or the other.

—————

Against the floor those sneakers clip, fading into the other end of the hallway, away from the direction of the now empty office. He is drawn to the sound of life that has come back to echo through these halls and torment him at every foot fall.

‘No-come back-I’m here-I’ve been here-here this entire time-I f-forgot-but I’m here-’

“Hello? Ms. French are you here? Please… I need your help…” The machine hears that soft voice again, disappearing along with the boy around a hallway corner into the thinner darkness bit back by the moon’s light streaming through a window. Rumplestiltskin’s night vision is no longer necessary but his pinpoint eyes continue to burn in the eerie darkness while his teeth peer out from behind his lips. 

‘Please come back-I’m here-I-I promised you-I can’t remember-but I had-’

The small foot steps stop for a momentary pause before picking up again while the animatronic’s silent boots continue on, pressing closer and closer without the child knowing. As the machine turns the corner he sees that just a few feet away the boy he has been looking for has stopped in the middle of the hall. Rumplestiltskin feels his systems shoot into overdrive as he stares with those awful eyes stuck in place as if he has been suddenly deactivated there on the spot.

‘Am I looking for-yes-this is the boy-the boy-the boy-the one I promised-I promised him but I can’t remember! I’m so sorry it’s been so long-’

That head of dark brown hair matched the boy’s in his lost memories, though he’s not wearing those clothes he had in that unknown place. Instead he wears a back pack as well as a thick grey coat, red and gray scarf, and long pants to keep him warm. Despite these differences it had to be him! How long had it been since that promise between them had been made? How long had the child been waiting on him to fulfill their deal, one he can’t remember but hopes to soon with the boy’s help.

The child’s breathing is soft and gentle within the creaking of Avonlea but loud and painful in the machines sensors as it sets off warning errors in throughout his entire body. Rumplestiltskin, as tormented as he is within his processors, can only wonder at the precious life brought once back to him from so many years passing in between. He desperately yearns to protect this child as he does Avonlea and his Belle-he starts hoping that perhaps this is his chance at making things right with them all.

That momentary awe and intrigue is lost to the sound that emits from the boy in a muffled snuffle of his coat sleeve. The boy is emitting a soft noise that clutches through the child’s chest and nose… He is crying.

_“I want to go home...”_

’No-No-No-’ Rumplestiltskin’s mind starts shooting off has his tiny pinprick eyes start swirling around in the darkness of their sockets. ‘No-It’ll be okay-I’m here-and I’m never going to let you go! We’ll b-b-b-be… Together… _Again._ ’

“PLEASE... DON’T… CRY.”

In an instant the faint crying bubbling up from the nameless boy ceased, leaving the air empty and more haunting than before.

“DON’T… CRY… I’M HERE…” Rumplestiltskin blurts again in slow croaks. His voice is crackling heavily with an electronic frizz that rings with his drone like tone. “IT’S… GOING TO… BE… OKAY.”

Suddenly the boy whirled around to face the animatronic as if he had been startled, for those sneaker clad feet slapped against the tile so fast that the boy had nearly fallen straight to the ground in his flurry. Rumplestiltskin can clearly see the set of brown wide eyes now that peer back at him as he stares right back, though they do not look happy to see him. The animatronic tries to smile to establish his good will but can feel his face flinching with too many emotions overloading his machinery beneath his imitation flesh.

But all that matters is that he’s found the boy so that he can keep their deal.

“IT’S ME… IT’S ME…” Without hesitation the machine starts stretching his clawed hands out towards the boy, wanting to verify that the sight before him is very much real and no hallucination. It has to be real, he wants this to be real more than anything- _this boy has to be him_.  _I’m so sorry it’s been so..._

“IT’S ME… IT’S… ME… IT’S... Y-”

**‘SMACK!’**

It happens so quickly that Rumplestiltskin didn’t have time to respond other than gape in response. With a quick jolt of his hands the boy had swatted Rumplestiltskin’s nearing beastly claws away as if terrified of them even brushing his coat sleeve. It hurt the imp more than he could properly understand since he couldn’t ‘feel’ the strike more than a hollow ring to his insides. There was no reason the boy should be scared of him-they knew each other-they… Knew… Did the boy actually know him and how does he know the boy?

The child takes a soft step back and though he does it so quietly the animatronic picks up on it instantly.

The boy was… Was terrified of him wasn’t he? He had been then too! Screaming at him-begging him to go away-to leave-to-to-to go back to Papa-but Papa was-his Papa-all of this was years ago-lost-lost-years and years-did the boy forget the deal too because it had been so long?

‘Something is wrong… This… This isn’t right.’ Rumplestiltskin bears his awful dagger filled jaw as the agony washes back over him. The longer he stares at this child, who has frozen in place and stares right back with nothing but horror in his eyes, the sooner he is starting to realize he has somehow made a mistake. ‘It’s not the boy, no it’s not him… It couldn’t be. That was thirty years ago… Our promise was meant for then-thirty years… Thirty… Ahhhhh… He can’t be a boy. HE’S NOT A BOY ANYMORE-I FAILED-I FAILED-I FAILED-HE’S GONE. HE’S GONE FOREVER-AND I FAILED HIM!’

He had truly failed. The boy with the red sneakers was long gone and Rumplestiltskin had failed to fulfill their promise. The pain of this loss coming to light within his pinprick eyes was more than he could bear.

“NO… NO… AHHHH-YOU’RE NOT THE BOY! HE’S GONE-HE’S GONE-I BROKE MY PROMISE! I FAILED!  **AHHH-AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!** ” Rumplestiltskin started wailing, jerking himself back to full height and letting his vocal box unleash his despair into the open air upon inhuman shrieking. The screeching grew so loud that the machine couldn’t even register nor hear the boy before him now screaming in unison. Both of them casted every hall of the family fun center into a hellish house of horror.

“HE’S GONE AND HE’S NOT EVER COMING BACK- **AHH-AHHHHHHHHH!** ”

The power now violently running up and through the imp’s endoskeleton as if trying to tear him apart was becoming too much. Rumplestiltskin continued to shriek as his body ‘popped’ and ‘clacked’ till more sparks flew from within his limbs and neck. This fault spends itself till his code can take no more, dropping him straight to the floor. The animatronic attempted to throw out his palms to catch himself but failed to save himself from this fall. 

With a mighty crack his metal head struck against the floor while his body convulsed in horrid flickers that contorted his face into grimaces of pain.

_“BELLE! AHHHH! AHHHHHHHH! EMMA! ANYONE!”_

The pinpoint eyes flickered back to their disturbingly large orbs of light as he heard the screaming deafen him now, but it was too late for Rumplestiltskin take back all he had just done. The boy before him, scrambling up to his feet after falling to the floor from shock, was not any boy in any illusion brought forth in his mind and from what damage the tape had done. No, in fact there was no rhyme or reason a boy his age should even be here at Avonlea this time of night-but there was a boy out lost in Storybrooke! Belle was out looking for him right now-he had called for Belle and Emma, this had to be him!

“Henry! H-Henry Mills!” Rumplestiltskin quietly gasped out loud as his mind was trying to piece itself back together from the haunting imagery still floating in between. “H-Henry! I-I-don’t go! Belle is out look-ook-ing for you-” As the machine’s words spilled out the boy was already streaking down the hall past him with the frantic scuff of his sneakers squeaking farther and farther away from the animatronic. Within several seconds he could hear the child at the back door as it flew open and hit the wall with such a great force that it echoed loudly back towards him.

“Henry! Please-don’t go! I-I-” Rumplestiltskin sobbed, clawing his hands against the tile to try to prop himself up. “I didn’t mean to frighten you-I don’t k-k-now what’s wrong with me... I’m... I’m so scared.”

Yet, the boy was long gone, surely already making his way from Avonlea after the terror he endured looking upon the broken terrifying thing that called itself Rumplestiltskin. Instantly the imp closed his eyes and held his face in his trembling palms, recollecting perfectly how the boy’s face had looked when he had started screaming in the confusion that had taken over.

He’s done it again. He’s frightened another innocent soul that had nothing to do with him and now that fear would be ingrained within his mind forever.

That wasn’t all, because now Rumplestiltskin himself was in a world of trouble.


	20. Chapter 20

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With Henry running from Avonlea and Rumplestiltskin having been seen by another human, a tough choice has to be made. The anima-tr-tr-tro-
> 
> //RUMPLE-BUMPLE. CLUNG TO A WALL. RUMPLE-BUMPLE. HAD A GREAT FALL. WILL FORTY FOUR HORRORS AND ALL HIS SINS BRING HIM TO A FRIGHTENING END?//

“What am I g-going to do?”

If tonight hadn’t been surprising enough, with its forgotten letters, mysterious tapes, missing memories, and burning emotions bubbling up from the machine for his human companion now there was this to add to the list. All thanks to his pitiful attempts at bravery and having the slightest hope to find the truth now another human knew of the horror within Avonlea. For as Rumplestiltskin laid there alone and breaking upon the tiled floor Henry Mills was off running far from the darkened building to who knows where with this new knowledge of the stowaway machine.

“He saw me... H-Henry saw me, and I scared him to death! I didn’t mean to do that! I didn’t mean to-but it’s too late. I’ve done it again-I’ve done it again and I’m breaking… Help… Please… Belle...” The scaly machine sputtered out of his vocal box as he lay there while his haywire machinery was attempting to reboot itself. Even though the hectic snuff of the boy’s sneakers racing away was long gone, alongside his screams, Rumplestiltskin could still hear it all replay in his memory banks.

‘He’s gone and now he knows I exist, and-and he’ll try to go find help and then everyone will learn about me! They’ll destroy me when they find me, after how I terrified him and with what I’ve done in the past. Belle will be put in danger too-she’ll try to protect me and might get hurt in the process!’

The mechanical man thought this all in fright, realizing just how severe the consequences of his actions will be if something wasn’t done about it.

Yet... None of that even mattered if young Henry couldn’t even find help in the first place. It was dark out still, and Belle claimed it to be wickedly cold. The world beyond his was no place for any human to be lingering in-let alone a child, and he could get hurt or wounded by not thinking straight if he thought Rumplestiltskin would be chasing after!

It was a worse thought than his own possible reveal and upcoming demise. If the boy got hurt out there thanks to him, another harmed child to add to his list of wrongdoings...

Rumplestiltskin didn’t know if he could keep on existing.

With building anxiety humming through his gears and joints Rumplestiltskin shot up to his unsteady feet. He couldn’t just sit there quivering in the dark and hope that everything would be alright when it couldn’t be! But it was hard to get his thoughts straight when he was still suffering flashes of the nameless boy flickering through his head, and though these flashes  were trying to overcome him and his programming the scaly imp didn’t let them. He forced his heavy husk to regain control as he shuffled clumsily back to Belle’s office, attempting to put a plan together.

“I have to go after him! If I-I find him and make sure he’s okay maybe I can explain myself! I know he’ll probably just be more frightened of me if I do go after him... After what I’ve done.”

Rumplestiltskin clutched his segmented fingers into his palm, wishing the sharp claws could puncture his shell and draw out the pain stuck within. “But I can’t let him be out there alone! Maybe I could find him and then when Belle comes back she could explain everything. Henry wouldn’t be frightened if she was around.”

Hope, as tiny as it was, began to return to him as he wandered back into the office and glanced towards the large metal cabinet in the corner. Without hesitating he reached over and opened it, bearing the few items in there to the light as he looked for anything useful. Inside there was the large old coat from a former night guard he often leant to Belle and without care Rumplestiltskin snagged it from its hanger. His puffy silk clad arms fit through the sleeves as he tugged it on, and the imp’s wits urged him draw the hood up over his head.

This would help conceal his undesirable form from any curious search parties sight, because if someone other than Belle were to find him out running around and caught a glimpse of his ghastly appearance he knew his chances of surviving to see the next night were slim.

‘Am I actually doing this? C-can I even do this?’

For a moment the machine pauses in place, glancing over to the telephone sitting on the desk and pondering if he was doing the right thing. If he called Belle right now and told her everything that had happened she could track Henry down,  _keeping him_  from going out there and likely make things worse.

“But this is my fault-not Belle’s, and I-I can go out there on my own and fix my mistake! Besides time is of the essence...” The imp made a brief snorting sound before disregarding the phone altogether and swiftly moving out past the open door frame. “I wanted to be brave and I wanted to prove it to her and myself-looks like I’ve got no choice in the matter now!”

Rumplestiltskin’s boots and metal limbs ‘clacked’ as he ran down the hall to the back door. It was still open and making a racket thanks to the wind gently bumping it into the wall next to it. For once Rumplestiltskin was thankful for his lack of ‘flesh’ as he could tell the 'cold' night wind was blowing harder than before, in fact he could almost 'feel' its caress push against his body.

As the wind howled, tugging at his hair and clothes, Rumplestiltskin stood at the divider of his world. His eyes stared out with a haunted gaze while he looked past the threshold he has come to surpass but is still so afraid of. He’s gone through it for Belle and with Belle at his side many times now, but this would be his first all on his lonesome.

A hesitant boot of his manages to inch past the door's frame, and the other shaky boot joins it a few moments later. Rumplestiltskin knows that he’s wasting valuable time thanks to his cowardice, and it frustrates him enough that he emits a small screech before turning back and closing the door behind him with a firm swing.

When it is just him and the whole wide world beyond all he knew the machine gulped and prepared himself.

Holding onto his hood Rumplestiltskin narrowed his eye lids in determination than set off in a blazing run for the tree line. With a click his more keen night vision fell back into place to help him scan ahead for the small boy as he darted about. He makes it a few yards into the thin density of trees outlining Avonlea within seconds, but immediately he sees no sign of Henry near by. The imp can't tell which direction the boy has even taken with how quiet it is around him either, yet Rumplestiltskin knows he’s got to start searching somewhere if he wants to have any chances of finding Henry.

—————

Before Rumplestiltskin knows it he’s gone further and further than he’s ever imagined before.

He passes towering pine trees, vast neighborhoods with their quaint dark houses, and nearby streets that he knows he’s never seen or ever could have from any window in Avonlea. The importance of him remaining inconspicuous returns to his thoughts though. It keeps him to the far off side of the street as he stays out of view from the homes with their lights on. Yet everything about this foreign world is still all so startling to the animatronic who grows more lost and lost by the second in his search for Henry.

It tries to overwhelm him, the fear that he knows so well but can never seem to conquer. Yet, he’s managed to keep it at bay for as long as he has. Instead he focuses his attention elsewhere, choosing to think about how all this feels familiar and he knows exactly why. Not long ago he had been out searching for Belle on a rather rainy night, but in the end she was the one saving him as always...

“Henry! Henry Mills!” He calls out while minding his voice, sounding less like his impish self or the drone like monster. “Henry! Please come back! I’m sorry I frightened you! I’m not going to hurt you!”

It has gone on like this for a while-him calling out into the dark as he traverses what he braves to, but there is not a single response to any of his cries. The flying boots beneath Rumplestiltskin start to slow, and with their easing steps the rushing sounds of air fade till the forlorn imp is standing in a rather quiet clearing.

‘Oh this is useless! As if he’d come back to the terrifying machine that had screamed at him...’ The animatronic thought dryly amidst the self loathing ticking in his metal chest. It bit at him as he wandered through wild brush and scatterings of dead leaves coating the earthy ground.

“Henry! Henry Mills! Please come back! Your mother-Emma Swan is looking for you-Belle too! They’re all worried! I didn’t mean to scare you I just...”

The tiny spark of hope nestled in his chest was starting to flicker away the further into the dark unpopulated area of Storybrooke he went, and though he knew he was not too far off from town or the large road he knows as the interstate it seems that he wasn't getting anywhere in searching here.

‘What the hell was I thinking by coming out here? I have no clue where I am, and there’s no chance I could even make anything right... I’m... I’m only causing more troub-’

With a firm slap of his hands to his silicone face Rumplestiltskin growled at the pessimism sneaking up in his wires. ‘Perhaps I’m just not looking in the right direction. He might have went towards some neighborhoods to find people to help him. Since it's pretty dark-even with the moon half out I could take a risk and go into town myself-’

“Ahhh! Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!”

“Henry!” Rumplestiltskin gasps out loud at the scream he knows he has just heard despite how faint it might be. All the sensors whirling in his skull focus on the reverberation of that sound before combing through the data and pinpointing his body in the proper direction to find it. He’s off then without a thought more, blazing past trees and rocky soil that is starting to become a bit more steep and jagged than he’s ever seen.

‘Oh no-Henry! Did he get hurt or is he in trouble! No-no! I can’t let anything bad happen to him-I must protect him and any child! I must p-protect-I-I-made a promise to that boy-no this is my duty! It’s not that boy thirty years ago but he’s still a child!’

The imp winces as he fights the lingering sensation and errors burning at his memory banks-it feels as if they are still trying to pull him back under the haunting images of the boy he does not know.

Abruptly, thanks to his internal struggle, Rumplestiltskin felt one of his boots give away upon the slick rocks beneath him which sent him nearly sprawling down the slope. He flung out an arm in the nick of time and managed to grab onto a nearby tree branch to keep himself up right, and as he steadied himself the animatronic took a moment to glance around, recording every detail with each flick of his metal eyes.

Everything here is much more steep and rugged than what he was used to in town with all its modernizations. Rumplestiltskin figured, with a grimace on his scaly features, that the area he is in must lead off to some more hillside forest before stretching out into wild countryside-a unlikely place for a young runaway boy. Yet he was curious over another nearby sound that caught his immediate attention. 

He listened to the frequency with his auditory sensors closer and it quickly clicked that what he heard was gushing water.

“There must be a river or stream nearby, that would explain the sound!” The imp blurted out in his high pitched voice as more horror donned on him. “What if Henry fell into one? Oh gods-I can’t do anything if he did! With my body I’d just get us both killed if I tried to dive in after him!”

The sudden devastating feeling settling in his core and near about to cripple him washed away when Rumplestiltskin heard another wail of need reach him. The boy had to be closer as his cries were so much louder than before! Surely that meant he couldn’t be drowning or being swept away by some river.

He might just about be soon if Rumplestiltskin didn’t do anything to stop it.

“Henry, I’m coming to get you! Hold on!” Rumplestiltskin shouted back as he redirected himself once again. The sound pulled him towards a more slanted slope this time, and his body darted inhumanly fast through the trees and wild plants to find it. As he ran the imp could feel his pants and coat being torn at by some low thorny brush, but he ignored it as the cries for help were all he could focus on.

“Can anyone-hear me! I’m-going to fall! HELP!”

Appearing right before the mechanical man was a cliff of sorts above the rushing sound of water that was growing louder with each step. With his night vision he could see across to the other side which was an almost perfect drop down to the black water flowing bellow. Without anymore delay Rumplestiltskin skidded to a stop right at the edge and looked over it in fear, scanning his eyes intensely to catch any sight of the young boy or his colorful scarf. In an instant he noticed something to his right and several feet down from where he stood.

Clutching with his small hands at a spare bit of ledge and looking near about to fall any second was Henry.

Rumplestiltskin began to shout so Henry could hear him against the wind and the growling water at least forty or fifty feet beneath the boy’s hanging body. “Henry! Hold on a bit longer! I’m going to come and get y-”

“AHHHHHHHH!” The boy suddenly screamed, and it confuses the machine for a sparse second till he realizes why. Henry must have recognized it was him because of his voice or because of his floating yellow eyes staring down at the child from above.

“EMMA! MOM! PLEASE ANYONE! HELP! HELP ME!” Henry continues to bellow while attempting to find any sparse ledge to keep him as far away from the mechanical man as possible. It’s clear to anyone with a set of eyes be they a human variety or that of lights, wires, and metal-

**He’s terrified.**

The response shatters the remaining hold Rumplestiltskin has on his fear and his doubts, allowing him to fall into its cruel grip. It's the look of horror plastered on the boys face that brings back memories, the terrible memories of that day he spilt a young boy’s blood-just like little Henry’s, and had ruined the lives of so many people. Those two faces twenty five years ago had stared at him with the same expression Henry was giving now while blood inched out across the floor from his gurgling mouth full of flesh and gore.

“No-no-no-no-no-I’m sorry-I didn’t mean-I didn’t mean-I-I-I-Don’t look at me-don’t look at me-” Rumplestiltskin began to mumble. In a flurry his his hands shot up in front of his face as if to shield the boy from the horrible sight of him or to possibly save himself from the many agonized faces haunting him.

He was wrong to do this-he forgot his place in this world which was not in it. A monster like him was not meant to go saving children. He was not meant to deal with humans. He could only cause pain no matter what he might be, where he has come from, or the good intentions he bore. He was a blood thirsty monster born out of metal and programming, he was no savior, no protector, no human, he wasn’t even  _real_ _._

Rumplestiltskin nearly took a step back from that cliff in his cowardice, but the sudden crunch of rocks underneath the boys hands made the child yelp out in fear, causing a surge of a more powerful fear to overtake the machine.

Without any thought to the action at all Rumplestiltskin shot forth and slammed his belly onto the ground, reaching his arm out in desperation to the boy about to plummet into the icy waters bellow. It must be deep, and in this cold and with how the currents rage it’ll either sweep the boy away or kill him by freezing him to death. There is no way Rumplestiltskin can allow that, while he is a monster and a terrible broken thing he is not coward enough to stand by and allow a child to die.

“Please Henry! I know you don’t know what I am-I’m also scary and I frightened you, but you need to take my hand! I-I’m not going to hurt you, please-just trust me!” The imp begs the boy in a breaking voice, inching further and further off the side as best as he can without falling over himself.

What he is attempting to do is not going over his head. He knows if he moves even a bit too far he will slip off this new edge he’s held back at and will fall into the waters that will become his coffin.

Though his large hand is so close to the boy’s own, almost touching those small knuckles, he can’t clasp onto him-not without his help. Meanwhile Henry just stares at him with that continual petrified look, as if the hungry water wanting to swallow him would be far more safe than the mechanical man wishing to save him.

Rumplestiltskin is running out of time, because he knows the boy can’t hold on forever as his sneakers scrape against the rocks with depleting energy. Those mossy metal teeth of his grit together behind his lips while he attempts to reach even further, threatening to stretch and rip out the wires in his shoulders from how hard he tries.

“Please...” Rumplestiltskin whispers, almost so quietly that the roaring below drives his voice out. “Belle is out looking for you and Emma Swan-practically the whole town is too! I-I can’t let you get hurt but to do that you’re going to have to trust me...”

Those yellow glowing orbs plead with the brown human ones staring back, but he notices that Henry's soft eyes are starting to loose their fear of him though they are still so shocked and scared.

“I promise you’re going to be with them again if you just take my hand...”

In a quiet moment that spans eternity Rumplestiltskin waits, but the boy’s words reach through that small distance between them.

“O-Okay-I trust you!”

Though his little hands are trembling the young boy seems to have found some resolve for he reaches up one hand and grasps towards Rumplestiltskin’s with everything he has left. The animatronic launches his hand forward and catches the boys just as Henry’s body looses all support from the rocky wall.

Rumplestiltskin feels his whole body begin to loose proper friction to the stoney slope too as he slides forward, but it’s far too late for him to correct his mistake.

There’s is just enough time to make a choice, one that he willingly makes without any hesitation.

The animatronic inhumanly growls while straining his already taut servos to throw the boy clasped in his hand straight back onto the rocky drop. With a heave Henry spills from his grip upon a loud gasp and lands shoulder first into the stone ledge a few feet back. For a single second Rumplestiltskin can see the shocked face looking at him with a new expression he didn’t have enough time to decipher before he disappears right over the ledge.

The world tilts violently, and the imp cries out in a crackle of sound as he drops head first over the side, scraping against the rocky jagged cut of cliff that tears at him and the coat draped about his thin frame. Though his hands attempt to grasp at anything it all slides and breaks free from his fingers, leaving him to stare at the black surging force rising up in seconds to swallow him.

Falling… Falling… Failing… Failing…

More importantly this was his end, and perhaps it was karma making him pay for all his sins. It was payment for what he had done to the boy he maimed, to Marco and his employees for causing fear and strife, to all the people he’s frightened, to Belle, to Henry... To that boy.

One sad fact remains, through all that he’s come to accept, leaving him feeling like the coward he always is.

_He doesn’t want to die._

_(‘-aid we’d leave. You promised!’)_

Time slows down somehow even though he knows that can’t possibly be. Yet, his electronic mind rewinds and recollects a splinter of lost words spoken long ago and the few spoken just within the hour.

_(‘-we’ll be together-this-won’t separate you and me forever. I promise on my very life that nothing on this earth is going to tear you away from me... I just need you to wait for me a bit longer. Deal?’)_

_(‘You’ll help find him, you’re a proclaimed stubborn one after all. Nothing will stop you when you set out to do something, and I’ll be right here waiting for you when you get back to hear all about your brave endeavors. I promise.’)_

_(‘Belle is out looking for you and Emma Swan-practically the whole town is too! I-I can’t let you get hurt but to do that you’re going to have to trust me... I promise you’re going to be with them again if you just take my hand...’)_

Continually he’s failed all those whom he has vowed to. He is and has been nothing more than a broken beast built on broken promises.

The growing despair running through him is almost too much to process, and he is willing to let the faces and hands clawing out from the dark waters below finally have him.

But then... It happens again.

A spark of light appears in the vast darkness within the hollow of his chest.

_(‘O-Okay-I trust you!’)_

_(‘I’ll expect you to keep to your word as a mighty sorcerer such as yourself should. Then, when I get back we can decide what to do with the rest of our findings, together.’)_

_(‘Deal!’)_

He’s got to keep his promises, or at least try to, he’s not going to fail- _not today._

Not today, because he’s done and tired of being consumed by his fear and he’s got too many people he cares for to leave behind now. He’s not going to fail them-he’s not going to fall!

‘I might not know exactly what I am, where I am from, nor my true purpose in this world-but I know that I am more than ZERO-ONE-A- _I AM RUMPLESTILTSKIN and a deal is a DEAL!_ ’

(01-A: CORE-IN CRITICAL DANGER.//INTERFERENCE-1-44//PROGRAMING OVERRIDE-ERROR. ALL ENERGY RESERVES ACTIVATED.)

Suddenly a power surges through his entire body, filling him to the brim with a strength he doesn’t know but feels will split him apart from the seams with its might. One of his clawed hands launches forward into the stone as he turns, splintering straight through the rock and grasping onto the notch he makes with every bit of energy he could muster. The action nearly tears his arm from its metal socket but he is lucky his body is far stronger than any humans. His husk slams into the jagged stone with force, but he holds on, leaving him hanging a few inches straight above the water licking at his boots.

He reaches up with his other hand then, feeling the blazing force continue to scorch his insides, and scrapes his digits over the crumbling wall till he grasps onto something. Bit by bit he clutches at rocks and stray growths of roots peppering the steep slope while he pulls himself up. The parts in his arms feel like they are reaching their extent, but he continues and shoots his hands out above him to  make his own path by crushing through the stone. In a couple of minutes he’s towards the top, forcing his pointy boots to scuffle against the slope to try and give him that extra push.

Yet, it’s becoming so slick he’s not sure if he can make it. Already Rumplestiltskin can feel his straining parts cause warning errors to alert him about how his energy reserves are depleting at a vast rate. As the animatronic tries to struggle upwards the wind begins to pick up again, blowing his hair from about his face and letting his wild yellow eyes look up at that fine line between the sky and the earth.

‘It’s still so far away-everything is right out of my grasp, but even if I try it’s just never good enough...’

Rumplestiltskin flinches as his feet start to slide back down while the notches he holds onto crumble beneath his fingertips.

“Here! Quick! Grab this!”

Out of the blue Henry’s voice echoes from above, and Rumplestiltskin glances back up from his boots to see something start wriggling towards him over the ledge. After it squirms a bit the imp can see it’s a broken branch making its way closer to him, and soon it is within reaching distance from his left. If he were to reach out and grab hold he’d probably get enough leverage to push upwards and then pull himself up onto the ledge at last, but he can’t.

Rumplestiltskin’s lips pinch tight together as he realizes what might happen if he tries. ‘The boy-he’s too small and I’m far too heavy, I’ll pull him right back over the side if I do that!’

“I-I can’t grab onto it! If I do I’ll pull you down instead!” Rumplestiltskin shouts back as he sees a bit of that brown haired head of Henry’s poking over the side. “Henry, stop-what you need to do is go and find help to get you home! Leave me here, I-I’ll try to...”

His words fall flat before he can say anything else, for he knows he can’t make anymore promises, especially ones he’s sure he can’t keep. All he must focus on before anything else, including his own existence, is keeping Henry safe.

The boy speaks up loudly before the animatronic can, echoing down to him and startling the machine with the sheer determination in his voice. “It’s your turn to trust me now! It’s a big tree branch that I found, and I’ll be far back on the ledge so you won’t pull me over! I-I don’t want to let you fall!”

Rumplestiltskin stares above while his fingers loose more of their grasp on the rocks and dirt, threatening to sending him sprawling down once more. If that happens there would be no second chance to save himself from the ravenous waters beneath him, this he knows.

Henry in return keeps looking back down at him too. The boy no longer seems so scared of the monster he was now reaching out to save, though he was still clearly frightened by the panic in his eyes.

But this fear...  _Was he scared for him?_

Lighting fast Rumplestiltskin snaps out his arm and clamps down onto the branch, instantly feeling it pull and tug at the valiant boy attempting to hold it back. Those boots of his dig into the rock and with another burst of this remaining foreign strength he pushes himself against the wall and straight up through the air. A small straining gasp ebbs from Henry above, but Rumplestiltskin releases the branch and throws everything he has left into grasping onto the ledge.

His hand flies forward and he succeeds in feeling dirt and grass dig underneath his claws.

The machine snapped his jaws as he pulled his mass up and onto the ledge, and when Rumplestiltskin knew he was safe a gush of air pushed through his plated throat while he clutched at the solid ground under his hands. Though his borrowed coat and his silk shirt were now torn in a few places, as well as his pants ruined at the knees, he was 'alive' and lucky to not be sinking down to a watery grave at the bottom of a river.

“You’re okay!” Henry’s voice surged into Rumplestiltskin’s auditory sensors, jolting him from the shock he was still processing. Quickly the imp turned his head towards Henry as his concern refocused itself to the boy, but he had no chance to get a word in as the child was rushing over to him from his knees. In a second Henry slammed into him with surprising force as he threw his arms around Rumplestiltskin’s torso.

“Oof!” Rumplestiltskin grunted while being taken aback by the boy and his tight hug about his uncomfortable form. The only person who has ever hugged him in his life has been Belle, and even then he was always surprised and touched whenever she chose to embrace him.

“I thought you were a goner there! After you saved me I couldn’t see where you fell, and I didn’t know what to do...” Henry’s voice mumbled into Rumplestiltskin’s coat, tinged with what he could instinctively identify as sadness.

The imp, in return, reached his hands out and gently set them on the boy’s shoulders to still his quiet muffled murmurs. Henry didn’t seem to mind at all, and the mechanical man felt the cogs in his chest grind with a sensation that was rather pleasant if a bit painful, but his worry over the child had resurfaced too, causing Rumplestiltskin to pull back from Henry to look him over head to toe to ensure he was not hurt.

“Are you alright Henry? I had to throw you pretty far-you didn’t b-break anything did you? Ah! B-blood! You’re bleeding...”

Adorned on the boy's right cheek was a thin cut, but Henry didn’t seem to notice it at all till he touched the wound with his hand and winced. With caution the imp reached up and brushed one of his thumbs across the cut to clean away the dirt and trail of blood there. Guilt washed over the animatronic at the sight of it, and an apology was already forming from his vocal box when he found the courage to look back to the boy. His voice ended up falling short when he saw the kid just smiling at him as if nothing was wrong.

“I got that before you threw me, when I fell down that steep slope that lead to here, but you saved me from far worse! I thought for sure you were going to eat me or kill me when I saw you in Avonlea, but you didn’t! Why? What are you?” The boy inquires, and the animatronic is stumped again by this sudden change in attitude. Minutes ago Henry had been terrified of Rumplestiltskin even reaching out to protect him, but now he was acting as if the animatronic was hardly the monstrous figure he’d seen back in Avonlea.

Henry didn’t wait to let Rumplestiltskin respond before he was rattling off more questions in bubbling eagerness. “At first I thought you were a monster, but you’re not one at all. Up close you look like a robot or maybe an android! Wait-you’re an animatronic aren’t you? Because you’re from Avonlea and they have other ones there like you, but you’re different!”

The boy was full out gushing now without a care, and Rumplestiltskin just about fell back into the dirt to bust out in a fit of his trademark giggling at the absurdity of it all. Pushing his programming aside he reached a hand up and gave Henry a brief ruffle of his brown hair, earning a rather displeased look for a moment before the boy himself giggled.

“I suppose I owe you some answers after everything you’ve seen... I’m not some fancy android or anything of that sort-I don’t think, but you were right about one thing... I am an animatronic that used to belong to Avonlea.” He admitted the truth to the boy with a softer tone than he usually spoke in for fear of still frightening him away. “I also must admit that I’m no longer part of the crew or even supposed to be around anymore.”

Those brown eyes staring at him grew to the size of saucers while Henry’s mouth gaped open. “Wow! I get it now-so you are what Belle is having to protect and keep classified then! Then she really is a secret agent isn’t she? And you’re so-so... So...”

The machine prepared himself for the verbal blow Henry was about to give after having grown used to receiving snide barbs and insults years ago. Yet no cruel remark hit him, instead the boy’s hands suddenly flew through the air before they clamped down on the sides of Rumplestiltskin’s silicone face, surprising him even further.

He was struck with awe too, for Henry’s hands... Were so close to his ghastly jaw that had hurt someone just like him once, and yet not an ounce of fear from that horrible day surged into his system.

“You’re so amazing! You still look pretty scary, but there is no way you’re a bad guy-you’re more like a superhero actually! Is that what you do? Do you protect Avonlea and Storybrooke alongside Ms. French?”

All Henry spoke and asked of was far to honest to be joking or making fun of the imp as his doubts wanted him to believe, but no child or adult had ever felt remotely comfortable around the machine in all the years he had ‘lived’ and the few when he was actually an entertainer... Only Belle had accepted him for ‘Rumple’, not just the mechanical monster, and now it seemed that maybe someone else...

Rumplestiltskin gave a hefty scoff then, for he still couldn’t believe for a split second that the young boy saw him as such. “How absurd-me a superhero! I’m not even a fairy tale hero! I’m the ‘Dark Sorcerer of Avonlea’,  _dearie_. I’m a beast and a villain-you should be scared of me if you knew what was best.”

“But you told me not to be scared just a while ago, and you did save my life, so there’s no way I can be afraid of you anymore.” The boy stated without care, seeming to brush all or any of his previous fears aside. It left the imp to just stare owlishly in befuddlement. “Though I am curious at why you started screaming at me back in Avonlea, you were yelling something about how you failed a boy...” Henry’s small brows furrowed, and Rumplestiltskin felt his anxiety creep back in again before releasing his hand still clamped on the child’s shoulder.

He needs to explain himself in entirety and he wants to, but even he is not entirely sure why he had lost all control over himself. Though the words came to him since Henry kept looking at him with those kind eyes waiting for an answer, eyes that were far to warm for something as cold as him.

“I was... I was faulting. You see I’m a machine that has been damaged and broken from the beginning so my ‘mind’ or whatever it is that I have is not  _‘right’_. When I was screaming it wasn’t at you per say, I-I thought I was remembering something about a boy I must have known long ago, and I thought you...” Rumplestiltskin’s metal eyes clicked away from the gentle gaze looking back at him to stare at the new tears in his leather pants.

The terror Henry had worn had was a mimics the long lost boy’s, and it left the missing hole inside Rumplestiltskin’s head aching for relief-to understand that which it could not- _why._

“In my confusion I thought you were him.”

He still knows next to nothing about this nameless boy within the tape. Even now no memories had returned besides the slightest recollection of their actual promise they had both made thirty years ago. To think he had promised that unknown little kid that they would always be together and that nothing would tear them apart when now he didn't even know why such a promise was made... But, it seems that was just one ‘deal’ neither of them could keep.

‘Why had I made that promise and why was it so important? Who was that boy? I feel as if I should know, but I don’t have the slightest clue. I don’t understand... I truly do not know anything...’ Rumplestiltskin reflected in deep thought while the bitter melancholy coiling in his cords made his lips curl into a frown.

“I’m sorry that I’m not him... I...” Henry speaks up but quietly, as if afraid to startle the animatronic who glances back up to the boy. The child sat there on his knees before him looking as if he was mournful to the sad mechanical man for not being the child lost to him so long ago. Rumplestiltskin could still feel that agony when he realized this child was not that nameless boy throb through his parts and between his gears, though it was just but a fraction of the pain.

But it’s not fair to pin his hurt on Henry nor for Rumplestiltskin to feel any anger at him for helping him realize his mistake, which he does not. Out of all the emotions curling in the wires beneath his chest the imp is nothing but happy and relived. This boy-this real and living boy right before him, was safe and sound, soon to be reunited with his loved ones. That was all that mattered to Rumplestiltskin.

“Ah, don’t worry about it, and I should be the one apologizing to you. I know I am a pretty frightening monster, and I must have gave you quite a fright back there. I usually only try to scare off unwelcome intruders from my domain on purpose mind you.” The trickster sneaks back into his electronic voice while a cuffed hand of his flutters in the air to draw away from his unspoken words.

“I’m not mad at you. It’s my fault I about fell off that ledge, cause I know this cliff and river is here, but I got so scared you were looking for me when I heard you shouting that I forgot about it. As for the monster thing-I can tell you’re not some thing looking to gobble me up, though I still hardly know anything about you...” Henry abruptly quiets, and Rumplestiltskin watches as he curls his arms around his torso to give a telling shiver.

The wind begins to pick up again with the way it tugs at their hair and coats, reminding the imp of the cold world around him that he can’t feel. Though the animatronic has found the boy he’s still not safe out here with this chilly weather in the dead of night. It causes Rumplestiltskin's protective programming to return, making him reach over to wrap Henry’s snug scarf back over his neck.

“Why are you staying in Avonlea if you don’t belong there anymore? I’ve never seen you apart of the show, nor have I even heard of you.” The boy continues to inquire, even though the world around them is unfavorable and there is much else that needs to be discussed.

The animatronic emitted his odd sigh before placing his hands on his exposed knee caps and rose to full height with a ‘clack’ of his parts.

“Avonlea is the only place I’ve ever known since I was 'made' for it, but I did something... Terrible... That made them try to get rid of me. Regardless, I’m forced to hide there during open hours so no one knows I still lurk there, but it means I can come out at night without worry of being found. Only Ms. French our loyal security guard knows about my existence...” Those accented words of his drift off for a moment, leaving him staring out to the dark tree line with his glowing eyes looking rather blank.

He has managed to keep one promise tonight, but he’s soon about to break another-Belle’s promise!

“Oh no-Belle!” Rumplestiltskin blurts out with a squeaky voice, startling Henry a bit with his sudden flurry of movement. “I-I-I found you and kept you safe, but I made a promise to her that I was going to be at Avonlea when she got back! What am I going to do? I don’t know where we are-I’ve never been this far away from A-Avon-vonlea and I was so busy looking for you I didn’t pay attention to the world around m-me...”

A small hand comes to rest against Rumplestiltskin’s flittering arm and it tugs his divided attention to the child once more. “Hey, it’ll be okay. I pretty much know where we are, so I can lead us back to Avonlea. I was headed there earlier to find Belle anyways...”

It brings back Rumplestiltskin’s whirling mind to one of the most important matters at hand. A quick clawed finger finds its way right in front of Henry’s face, pointing straight between his crossed eyes. “Hey-What were you doing sneaking into Avonlea in the first place? You know well enough we’re closed, alongside the fact it’s so late at night and you’ve got so many people worried sick looking for you.”

It’s then that Henry’s face falters, no longer looking so elated nor confident. “No one actually cares about me, they’re just out there looking because they have to or else they'll get in trouble. My ‘mother’ frightens everyone into doing whatever she wants so that’s the only reason why there’s a search party in the first place...” A small rock finds itself skidding down the slope after Henry’s sneaker nudged it that way. “She’s even scarier than you when she gets mad, and she’s mad all the time.”

Rumplestiltskin gave a loud huff, placing his torn sleeved arms at his hips with a scolding look pinned on the young boy. “Now that can’t be true at all! This Emma Swan woman desperately called my Belle looking for you and recruited her into the search along with lots of other people. Both Belle and this Emma are worried to death about you getting lost or not coming back home.”

“It’s not Emma... The home I live in isn’t a home, it’s more jail and Regina’s the jailer.” Henry whispers, and the hopelessness crossing his face makes the imp falter and drop both his arms to his side.

There is much more going on with this boy and his story, the animatronic could sense the child was feeling pain and emotions that no kid should have to. It takes him back fourteen years ago to another small child going through much the same thing, to the night when Belle had ran to Avonlea too out of desperation and he had listened to her broken hearted tears. Rumplestiltskin’s face twitches as the parts in his chest start to ache at how much he misses that woman right at this moment and how he wishes he could somehow help this child.

But there will be more time to find out what is going on with Henry later when they are somewhere safe and warm.

“Here, we can talk more about this when we get to Avonlea because I do expect an explanation young man.” Rumplestiltskin ‘tsked’ before he glanced about to try to help get his sense of direction in order. “You must understand... A parent worrying about loosing their child has got to be the worst thing you can make them ever endure in their entire lives.”

“How do you know that’s true? After all you’re a machine-you can’t know what being a parent or having a child is like.” Henry states a split second after.

A twig underneath Rumplestiltskin’s boot gives a small crackle thanks to his weight, but it’s those words that break through his thick hull. Carefully he turns back towards Henry with his face betraying his emotions, displaying the uncertainty bared there in every line and scale. What the boy has said is true though-he can’t know what a parent loosing their child might feel like... He doesn’t have any right to even conceive such an idea with his inhumanity and his experiences.

“N... No, I don’t have any idea what it must feel like, but I’ve seen enough parents searching for their lost kids or kids begging for their parents to know what it might be-” Rumplestiltskin manages to admit before he finds a surge of energy abruptly crackling through his head, stirring up the haunting images of the boy with red sneakers from the tape again. “Ugh-my h-h-head.” He gasps a moment while he touches his skull, but his control returns as the flash of information subsides and his system bounces back.

“Are you okay? I know you’re an animatronic, but you can’t get h-hurt can you?” Henry inquires while he circles Rumplestiltskin, looking him up and down now as if he’s the one that is damaged.

Rumplestiltskin shakes his head while putting up an impish facade to cast out all the boy’s doubts. “No-I’m alright, my main system is still not quite right after everything tonight... I’ll be fine in time with a reboot. Here.” Slowly he extends one of his large cold hands for the boy to take, though he freezes before he can draw it too close, still weary with all his doubts.“You can take my hand if it doesn’t bother you. I just want to get the both of us somewhere safe and especially warmer so you don’t freeze to death on me. I don’t need to be caught lugging around a child-size popsicle.”

Henry seems to be coming back around at that gruesome quip, for he smiles nervously at Rumplestiltskin before he reaches out to take his hand. Those tiny fingers touch the shell of his palm before suddenly withdrawing back as if they had been bit by the surely icy metal.

“You’re hand! There’s a bolt coming out!” The boy stated with wide worried eyes jumping from his hand and back up to him.

Rumplestiltskin tilted his head owlishly before he brought his hand up in front of his eyes and glanced it over. Sure enough at the side of his wrist is a bolt protruding from the seam between his thumb and rest of his arm. With a small movement, a flick of the joint, the wild eyed machine can feel there is no tug nor true problem with the out of place part. It should be a cinch for him to repair back at Avonlea with the proper tools.

“Oh dear, oh dearie dear! I didn’t even notice. I must have damaged it when I was climbing back up, don't worry. It’s easily fixable for something like me, much more so then you humans and your fragile bodies.” The imp flicks his brows up in a teasing manner, putting on an air of the confident spinner while he reaches his hand back to the boy.

But a sudden sniffling sound fills the quiet air between them which startles Rumplestiltskin yet again.

“I’m sorry you about got hurt, b-because of me you got damaged and a-almost died!” Henry quickly wipes at his cheeks as a few tears attempt to leak out of his eyes and down his reddening face. The boy shouldn’t be shedding any tears over him, an insane machine that had scared him in the first place, and so it baffles Rumplestiltskin even further when the tears continued to pour.

“What! No, no, please don’t cry-I’m fine, it really doesn’t hurt! I can’t feel pain, plus it’s my duty to watch over any child that comes to Avonlea, especially little nosy ones that should be at home safe in bed!” Rumplestiltskin titters with a flourish of his damaged wrist, letting his giggling silly portion of nature sooth the child who eventually stops his sobbing and nods. With the tears subsided for now, though his nose was sniffly from the cold and sadness, the machine’s hand clasped about the boy’s in a comforting grip. After checking the boy to be sure he was alright the animatronic glanced up from Henry and looked to the wide open world around them. It makes him feel slightly intimated again by what he doesn’t know and far too small to handle anything-almost to the point his servos start threatening to lock up.

That small hand in his tightens its grasp though, reminding Rumplestiltskin that he needs to be brave for more than just himself.

He grins softly down at his new companion while his bright yellow eyes mischievously squint and break away the surrounding darkness.

“Now, let’s get us back to Avonlea.”

—————

It didn’t take long for the wandering duo to find their way back to Avonlea.

With Henry guiding them, Rumplestiltskin’s luminous eyes lighting a path, and the half moon hanging above sharing it’s glow the two forged through woods and upon sidewalks till the family fun center rose into vision. The imp was relieved to see a familiar sight in such a foreign world and hurried the boy on so they could escape the cold. They were rather careful and sneaky about getting back in, darting together in the dark one after another and slipping inside through the unlocked door.

A door that Rumplestiltskin promptly locked up once they were inside just incase anyone else felt the need to venture into where they shouldn't.

As they entered the animatronic was preparing himself to go ahead and call Belle from her office phone so that she would come back to Avonlea. He could only right this rather unconventional evening with her safely at his side and with her help, including getting the young child currently walking beside him back home. Yet, something stopped him from going ahead with his plans, and deep down the imp knew it was because of the pair of tired brown eyes next to him lidded with sorrow.

Rumplestiltskin laughed internally to himself over the fact that he was always soft when it came to sad kids.

As Henry and him stood at the junction of the empty hall Rumplestiltskin suddenly altered their previous path to the office. The imp decided, while he walked and went to remove the ruined coat, that it would be best to take care of the boy’s cut and possible other injuries first. The two of them ended up entering the break room where the machine pulled up a chair from a table for Henry to sit in, got out the first aid kit, and even used the spare bit of change he knew collected in a drawer to buy the kid a drink from the vending machine.

Henry thanked him and gulped down his sugary beverage with eagerness but continued to ask questions in his insistent curiosity. They were about such things as what the old Avonlea was like or why there was a portly looking cactus sitting at the window, and Rumplestiltskin humored him, giving away bits and pieces of himself as well as Avonlea with his impish demeanor. The animatronic managed to distract the boy long enough with the story of how 'Prickle' came to be before he dabbed at Henry’s cut with a finger full of antiseptic, earning a yelp from him in the process. With Henry’s cut all cleaned up Rumplestiltskin finished the job by reaching over and sticking a bright orange bandaid over his cheek.

“There-now you have a bandaged wound to show off to everyone when you get picked up-not many kids get to say they almost fell off a cliff and actually survive to tell about it.” The imp tittered and closed the first aid kit with a 'snap'. A quaint silence settled between them, more comforting than uneasy unlike how he thought it would be, and Rumplestiltskin glanced back up to the child to see a slight... Confusion settled on the boy’s features.

“Thank you for the bandage but... Uh.” Henry began to mumble, holding onto his can of soda and swishing it around out which caused it to fizz loudly. “I just realized I don’t even know your name.” The boy’s shy admittance reminded the imp of a handshake and a deal made months ago with someone with bright blue eyes who had said the near exact thing.

‘Is that all? My... Belle said this boy was like me but so far he’s a lot like her too!’ The mechanical man thought in a glimmer of humor, before he rose to his feet and took a few steps back from the young child.

“Allow me to introduce myself!  _R-R-R-Rumplestiltskin_ -the great Dark Sorcerer of Avonlea at your service!” Rumplestiltskin rolled his ‘r’s as he delivered a flourished bow that was more exaggerated than necessary.

“Henry Mills, but Belle must have mentioned me before since you were hollering my name earlier.” Henry noted while the imp returned to full stance with his ‘clacking’ hands returning towards his sides. “By the way, I noticed you were really worried about her-are you and Belle in love? I’ve heard Ruby say she thinks Belle has a secret boyfriend, but I’ve never seen her out with anyone, and you seem pretty fond of her to call her  _my Belle_.” Henry stated the last bit with a playful spark in his eyes while the imp just stared ahead as if his processors were still taking in everything that he had heard.

Wait, he thought the two of them... were in love?  _Him, Rumplestiltskin the ugly beastly machine, and her, Belle the beautiful kind human, lovers?_

“What? _You think I’m her secret boyfriend?_  N-No it can't be me! We-we’re not in love with each other! There’s no way Belle could ever want me-what I-It’s not like-! We’re just friends!” Rumplestiltskin frantically tries to explain but the smug look on the boy’s face continues to grow even when the imp bares his mossy metal teeth. He can hardly believe this ten year old is making him a sputtering mess of embarrassment when he wants to avoid such a ‘daunting’ topic that makes his parts whirl so fast they might melt from the friction.

He continues his explanation, hoping to make the boy stop staring at him with that ‘knowing’ look that makes him feel ashamed for even imagining himself at Belle's side.

“Look, Belle’s been the only human who hasn’t ran away from me or rejected me, excluding you now. When she first started working here I tried to frighten her away as I did every security guard, but she accidentally got hurt and I felt so guilty I revealed myself to her... Even after all I put her through she decided she was going to put up with me-so we made a compromise of sorts to work together. She’s been keeping my existence a secret ever since, and well now... We’ve somehow b-become friends in that time.”

‘Yes, and despite knowing that you can never be what she wants or what she needs you’ve fallen head over heels for her like the foolish scrap of junk you are.’ Rumplestiltskin’s mind berates him, causing the wires in his chest to squirm in a painful manner. ‘But what Henry said about Belle having a secret boyfriend... Is she already with someone? She's never mentioned it, and I haven't seen any signs, but then why would she even have to tell me... I should be happy if she’s found someone-but I-I-it’s not like she would ever choose me!’

As the machine snaps back to reality outside his skull he can tell already the boy is wanting to inquire more about the subject, one that Rumplestiltskin himself is not brave enough to explore further. Thinking about Belle right now, bravely out there searching, helps remind him of what he needs to be focusing on, and the small child before him too makes him force all other thoughts away.

“Now don’t think I haven’t forgotten what we’ve agreed to. Lets talk about more important things-like how you snuck away from home and ran over here to Avonlea at such a godforsaken hour.” The animatronic recalls, pulling out his own chair and sitting across from the boy, determined to find out why they have found themselves in this position. Together his amber eyes and the glowing vending machine produce the only bit of light within the room which lets the machine study the shadowed face across from him.

Henry looks the most nervous the imp’s ever seen now after all the true terror has passed, for he refuses to meet Rumplestiltskin’s eyes and chooses to look down at his dirty sneakers instead. Rumplestiltskin in return kneads his fingers in his own form of anxiousness with the quiet that spans back between them. He felt entirely unsure how to even approach the subject better so the boy wouldn’t feel so ashamed in explaining how he felt.

When Henry speaks up his voice is only bit louder than the bulbs in the vending machine humming their white noise. “I had a fight with Regina, my legal mom... Emma and I were supposed to come here to Avonlea today to spend some time together, and I’d been really looking forward to it, but she decided she wouldn’t let us like she always does even after she promised... She’s alway like that though. She’s always stopping everyone or anyone from getting close to me. I think she’s the reason I have no friends, because no one wants to mess with the mean mayor’s kid...”

Henry took a sip of his soda, but even what must have been a ‘sweet’ taste looked to be not strong enough to alter the sour expression he wore.

“I know Emma isn’t going to take me back, but I’m starting to think she doesn’t want anything to do with me after getting to know me...” Rumplestiltskin watches as the boy curls further into himself, as if releasing his doubts and fears is making him shrink down into something less than a person. It’s a feeling the imp can relate to, and it pulls apart his gears and pieces to watch such pain furrow in the boy’s brows.

“Emma set me up for adoption when I was born-because she was in jail at the time, and she didn’t think she was my best choice. So she’s staying around right now because she feels sorry for me since I tried so hard to find her. It hurts knowing she doesn’t love me enough to want me though... No one really does.”

A tiny sob slips past the barricade the boy has tried to erect and it makes Rumplestiltskin flinch in his seat, driving him to reach out his arms to steady his hands on the boy’s shoulders once more. The imp doesn’t follow through, he leaves his twitching fingers to sit at his side and lets Henry spill and sputter out those tears that need to be freed from inside. They glide down and patter against his lap in loud droplets, leaving the animatronic to mournfully sit back and count each trail that appears.

What Belle has said about him and the boy being alike makes more sense in ways he didn’t understand before. The boy, him, and even her, are all so alike if in just one sense-the terrible fact that _they each knew loneliness as if there was no other way to exist._

So when Rumplestiltskin speaks it’s not just out of computerized compassion nor out of synthetic sympathy. It’s because he knows just how the boy feels even if it is true that their experiences are vastly different between Henry’s flesh and his cold metal.

“That’s not true, even if you do believe it.”

Henry’s tear filled gaze shot up to Rumplestiltskin, looking shocked though there was a sliver of hope remaining there in the glimmer of his eyes. “Right now Emma is out there searching for you and isn’t going to stop till she does. I could hear her voice through the phone when she called here for Belle-everything that goes through my processors is recorded, and I can remember what she said so loud and clear- _‘I’ve got to find my kid.’_  Do you think anyone who didn’t love their child or didn’t want to be with them would go through all of this?”

Henry slowly shakes his head in reply, looking as if he couldn’t quite talk unless he would want to fight back another sob. The imp finally gives into his programmed need to comfort the child and extends his monstrous hand to rest it kindly on the boy’s shoulder. The shoulder beneath trembles at his touch, but no longer out of fear of him just out of the sadness that weighs him down.

“I’m just tired of being alone... I thought if I went here and talked to Belle she could help me figure out what to do. S-She’s so nice and she's super smart I thought she’d know just what to say...” The boy confesses and now Rumplestiltskin can understand more of why he has done what he has done tonight. “I know running away is wrong, but I’ve got no one-not Regina, nor Emma, not a single friend to talk to about these things... Is it wrong to want to have some one who cares?”

The imp remains quiet for a few moments, and the boy once again turns his head away, seeming to be resigned to this fate of his. It was heartbreaking that Henry thought no one could care about an ‘unwanted’ child like him nor his own broken heart-like a young girl that had believed no one cared about wether she lived or died after the loss of her mother.

Yet, just like that little girl who has now grown into a beautiful precious human being this boy was wrong about that too.

“I’ll be your friend.”

Now it was Henry’s turn to stare at Rumplestiltskin as if he is unsure he’s heard anything right. If the subject and the clear heart break overflowing the child hadn’t been there the trickster might have chortled in his usual manner at how surprised he seemed to be. Then again, if this situation had been turned around Rumplestiltskin was sure he’d look just the same except with a gaping hinged mouth and unblinking eyes.

Rumplestiltskin withdrew his hand from Henry’s shoulder and let his more human tone spill over his faux lips. “I don’t have many friends either as you could easily imagine. Before Belle came into my life I was always alone, even long long ago when I first came here to Avonlea. Most people don’t understand what I am or why I am this way, neither do I. Because of that and my...”

That twitchy hand of his drew itself over his person, pulling the boy’s gaze over the segmented parts, plated neck, and distorted jaw, reminding him that the imp was a bizarre contraption shaped like a man. “Appearance, I’m rather frightening... I didn’t think I’d ever find anyone who could care about me, who wouldn’t find me uncomfortable to look at or wouldn’t find me not safe to be around... But even something as scary and awful as me found someone  _very, very, special._ ”

The imp makes a slight odd sound, always at a loss that Belle has chosen to care for him and not flee from his dejected isolated world he has come to exist within... She was bright and light, as gorgeous as vibrant wild flowers that grew near Avonlea and untamable as the wide clear sky the same color of her intelligent eyes. She was everything he could never hope to be or to touch without rusting and or making decay, and yet she chose to welcome every scrap of him into her life without care or fear.

Belle was a someone very special indeed. Wether or not they had met the way they had he was sure he would’ve always been captivated by her.

“I don’t doubt you’ll find good friends and people who care for you in the future either. I’ve seen many people come and go in my time here, but you, you’re very special too little Mills, more than you could know. After all a villain like me can sense you heroes a mile away!” A giggle forces it’s way out of Rumplestiltskin, for he is trying his best to lift that heavy burden Henry carries even if just a little bit.

“I want to be worthy of the title of hero someday, maybe I can make friends... But did you mean what you said-that you’d be my friend?” Henry is about to spill the rest of his soda all over the tiled floor with how he leans forward in his curious disbelief. It makes the imp tip the can back into his hand while he smiles widely, showing off the tips of his dagger like teeth that appear in the hollow of his mouth.

“I don’t just throw around the word ‘friend’ for anyone! I’d be your friend so long as you’d be my friend too-that's fair trade after all. But I can’t do much for you like friends are supposed to, but I hope to be able to leave here someday and then maybe we can do fun things together, along with Belle or maybe even Emma too...”

It’s a beautiful dream or another foolish hope that he longs to delve into but can’t because it could be so easily ripped straight from his grasp. Too many things have been taken from him while he couldn’t even lift a finger to stop it... A future like that was too precious to allow such an end.

Yet the boy seemed to be contemplating this offer, and the imp tilted his head, spilling his wiry curls while studying the small human being. “So if you going to leave are you going to go look for that boy then? The one you were screaming about when you thought I was him?” The question holds no hesitation but draws out some from the imp who has yet had any time to think of such an instance or what he might do.

There was no real chance that Rumplestiltskin could find the boy, that much he could confirm. All that he knew was what he saw from thirty years ago in that tape that had caused him to almost break. The small child could be anywhere, anyone, or gone from this world altogether-he didn’t even know the boy’s name for gods-sake! Yet, with a churning desperation Rumplestiltskin wanted and hoped that somehow he could meet that boy again to help understand just what he was, who that boy was to him and himself to the boy, and why they made that promise to be together so long ago.

“Perhaps... But that boy was a boy decades ago, and though he was several years younger than you I’m afraid he’s no longer that boy but a grown up who has probably forgotten about me as I’ve somehow forgotten about him.” Rumplestiltskin informs the real child before him who seems to grow disappointed at this new knowledge. “Maybe it was for the best that we never find one another... He probably wouldn’t even be happy to see me-I might just bring back some bad memories more than anything.”

“You don’t know that! I'm sure he’d still be happy you went and found him, and then you could just explain everything to him! If you did go and find him it would mean he was so important to you that even many years couldn’t stop you from being together again. I’d be happy if Emma did that for me...” Henry blurts out in a flurry of waning emotion while once again about to spill that drink of his all over the floor.

Rumplestiltskin this time takes the can from the boy’s hands and sets it on the floor next to him. “I do hope I can find him some day despite what might have happened. I’m not sure how I will, or if he’s even still alive, but you’ve given me some hope...” The imp scoffs to try to keep himself from letting that spark nestled within get to bright least he tempt fate to smother it and render it to nothing but ashes. “Impressive! Do you happen to be some heroic knight too? My-I already have to deal with one what am I going to do with two of-”

Suddenly a loud sound thumps in the far distance, one that startles both the boy and the mechanical man so much that their heads shoot straight up. After Rumplestiltskin flinches his system analyzes the data and informs him it was the back door being flung open and hitting the wall with force.

Which meant someone has entered Avonlea.

In an instant the imp was up to his boot clad feet, feeling his protective nature's resurgence enough that it made him screech a small snap of that inhuman cry in response to the intrusion. His fear was fueling him to take action, to defend and protect and even cause harm if need be, but he had to try with all his might to keep himself from falling into the errors that were trickling down into his head. Despite the loud noise going on within his programing Rumplestiltskin could hear Henry getting up off his chair behind him which scuffled harshly across the floor. That small reaction brought his mind back together, helping him to fight back his system's faulting in hopes to prevent the child from seeing him at his absolute worst.

Then the one thing he finds such comfort in begins to ring through the halls in a faint echo, stilling the sleeping beast within his wires and parts. That voice calling out for him calls to him like a sirens song, and before he knows it he’s hurdling out the break room door and darting down the hall towards the source of it.

‘Belle! She's back!’

The sound of feet began to patter in his direction off the walls, and he knows that specific set of boots from anywhere.

“Rumplestiltskin! Are you still here! Rumple!” Belle’s shouting bounced down the hallway right to him, and in seconds he sees her with flash light in hand. The beam of it darted over his form and then fell back upon him in a flash, forcing his optics to change modes just so he could see her. “Rumple!”

“Belle! You’re okay!” Rumplestiltskin cries in relief when her puffy coat clad form becomes clear to him, and he can tell from here she's not hurt or wounded. Despite knowing she could take care of herself well on her own enough so that he didn't need to fret he had still been worried about her out there. Memories from the night of Avonlea's recent break in still haunt him without end, torturing him with replays of her pained cries and the horror she'd worn thanks to his carelessness. It makes him fearful for her safety well into the day lit hours when she so far from his side and any possible protection he could offer.

The auburn haired beauty seems to feel the same as him right now for she rushes over to him before he can make a move towards her. Rumplestiltskin stills when she throws her arms around his shoulders and pulls him into her embrace with an intensity stronger than before, even compared to the hug she gave him at the start of her shift. He pushes down all his insistent insecurities forming in his programming so he can hug her back and nuzzle the crown of her head with his cold nose. A sense of peace washes over him with her there in his arms and him in hers, making him the most at ease he's been the entire night.

“Belle-I’m so glad your here...”

Everything was going to be okay, for now... He wasn’t going to lose his sanctuary or his life, and more importantly he wasn’t going to be separated from his darling knight.

Yet Belle quickly pulled back from him enough so that she could look directly at his face, displaying her own fraught features heavy with concern. The protective nature in him rises at the clear distress she's emitting and he keeps her in his grasp to hopefully still those unwelcome feelings within her.

"Belle-what's wrong? You're not hurt are you? No one has come after you have they? They can't harm you-"

“Rumple! Rumple! I'm fine! And no-no one has, but I was so worried about you too-thank god you’re here! I heard that Henry might have come from Avonlea after Ruby said someone saw him here, and I wanted to make sure you were okay. But you are so he must not have been here, which is such a relief-yet... Why is your shirt all torn up like that?” Belle’s hectic voice cut itself off after she had examined the ripped silk beneath her fingers, and it took Rumplestiltskin a moment to notice that her wide blue eyes were no longer pinned on him.

As if mystified Belle turned her head from the animatronic in a slow manner, and he glanced to where she was staring to see what had her so alarmed. Down the hall and standing by the break room door with backpack in hand, was Henry Mills nervously smiling right at them.

“Hi Belle... I actually did kind of sneak in when I came here looking for you, but then I bumped into him on accident.”

In a whirl Belle turned her head to look back at her mechanical companion with a gaping mouth and utter confusion, and Rumplestiltskin could only sheepishly kneaded his fingers together while his programming tried to find the right words to say. When he falters to come up with anything but an odd trill he finds his knight tugging at the collar of his shirt and drawing him down to her level with a fearsome might to stare at him with sharp blue eyes.

"Rumple, please tell me what on earth is going on- _right now._ "


	21. Chapter 21

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With Henry found and and soon to reunited with his loved ones Belle and Rumplestiltskin are left to fix up the loose ends to a rather unforgettable evening. Yet, returning to normalcy is hard when both of them are still suffering with painful memories and their buried emotions-ones that might peak and begin to break the walls surrounding their hearts and metal parts.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The chapter was earlier published today but because of some issues it was not updated for October 4th so I had to submit the chapter again. Sorry for any comments that were lost with the previous post.

_"Rumple, please tell me what on earth is going on-right now."_

A long spell of silence filled the back hall of Avonlea after Belle’s words had rung through the air. Like a layer of dust the quiet settled upon everything and everyone, muffling out the creaking and groaning that the building usually made. As the three individuals stood still in the dim glow of a flash light all that Rumplestiltskin’s auditory sensors could pick up was his own parts ticking, the hitch in his night guard's breathing, and the shifting of Henry's sneakers against the tiled floor.

Yet, what has been asked of him has left his processors reeling while the bits of code operating his functions fled altogether. For even he is not completely sure of what has happened here tonight. He's experienced and recorded it all, but everything feels like some unreal dream or another erratic broken fit he's faulting through again.

The tiny woman before him, having tugged him down towards her with a fist full of his shirt, was awaiting him to give any form of response though. Desperately the scaled machine tried to find an explanation for her as the seconds ticked by, but his lips only trembled when he couldn't find where to start. More than ever he wanted to say something meaningful or helpful that would ease the frantic worry draping itself across his knight's features. There was also the other worried and even tinier human in Avonlea standing by that he had to consider too.

"Rumple... Please..." Belle's voice was hardly the same demanding force it was before, but her blue eyes filled with an anxiousness like his own compelled him to reassure her and scrape together his meager bits of bravery.

“It’s a long story dearest, but don’t worry! I promise everything is going to be okay after tonight, you've got nothing to fear-I think!” Rumplestiltskin blurted out the first thing he could think of in his high pitched tone that rattled through the air.

'Perhaps that was not the best thing to say off the bat in a situation like this, but at least I'm positive that things were going to be fine...' The machine thought to himself immediately after. Then again his calculations were never the most favorable when it came to anything to do with him- _not that he mentioned that._  Yet, after everything that the three of them had been through tonight, such different heartaches and fears, deep down he knew he would do anything to keep this promise.

Keeping up his confident theatrics Rumplestiltskin stood before his knight and smiled at her with a toothy grin like there was nothing for them to fear. However, his wide monstrous smile began to drop upon the realization that his whimsical nature was not helping like he intended it to. Belle's gloved hands were still holding onto him as if she was afraid to let go all while she was wearing a pained and lost expression. Quickly Rumplestiltskin's loose grip tightened at the sides of her waist in return for it felt like if he were to relinquish his hold upon her she would slip out of his hands and crumple to the floor.

He was lucky himself that the servos controlling his own legs had locked him in place.

Yet Rumplestiltskin managed to free a wriggling finger of his hidden damaged hand and motioned for Henry, still standing back by the break room door, to come closer. His new friend's face perked up at his silent request, and the boy approached the two of them as the animatronic continued talking.

“Henry and I were just finishing up our chat about why he ran away tonight right when you got here... We've gotten into a bit of a mess in all honesty, but I think that he’s ready to go back home now and explain to his loved one’s why he's done what he has tonight.” Rumplestiltskin spoke softly, hoping that this admittance would be more of what Belle needed to help fend off her remaining fears. A sense of calm seemed to wash back over his frazzled beauty with how she gave a tiny nod in reply and released her tight grip of his shirt to set her hands upon his exposed shoulders. "Trust me Belle, things will be fine... Henry's right here too so you can even ask him if he's okay just to be sure."

The security guard's gaze fell from the mechanical man she was pressed against as she peered down at the small boy now standing beside her. Those dainty hands of hers eased their tension and trailed down Rumplestiltskin's torn shirt till they fell away entirely as Belle turned from him and bent down on her knees till she was level with Henry. The animatronic released his own hold upon his dearest, minding her not to see his oddly slanted wrist, while observing the scene before him in quiet contemplation. He watched as she reached out her fingers and brushed her thumb across the bandage adorned on the boy's cheek, and there was no mistaking the pure affection and concern shining in Belle’s eyes as she checked him over head to toe.

Then he saw how her mouth quivered ever so slightly which caused his unnatural instincts to warn him of the thread bare emotions she was still holding back.

“Henry are you okay? You've given everyone such a fright-why on earth did you run away? Was it because something bad happened to you after yesterday in town?” Belle began to pepper the boy with a flood of hushed questions as if worried someone else besides them inside the locked up empty building might catch wind of his reply. "Did Regina... In any way...  _Hurt_  you, at all?"

Henry had seemed to grow a bit more shy at each inquiry, hiding himself behind the shield of his wrapped scarf, till she brought up Regina. The boy shook his head immediately at such a notion which seemed to pacify the security guard as she gave a soft but audible sigh of relief.

“No, Regina has never hurt me... 'Like that'... I got this cut when I fell down a slope when I was running away after meeting Rumplestiltskin earlier, but he swooped in and saved me from falling off a cliff and into the big river on the edge of town!" Henry began explaining everything to Belle with eagerness lacing his tone, but he became far too excited in his story telling to notice the growing horror plastered on the machine's face. "He was so cool-you should have seen him Belle! Rumplestiltskin about fell into the river himself when he rescued me, but he like caught onto a ledge and then climbed the entire thing back up! We walked all the way back to Avonlea after that, but he said we were both lucky to have come out of that alive...”

It was far too late when Henry finally saw Rumplestiltskin behind Belle waving his arms about in a desperate plea for the young boy to stop.

In an instant there was another shift in atmosphere in that thin hallway as Belle stiffened in her crouched position, looking like a coiled snake that was ready to strike. One of Rumplestiltskin's scuffled boots took a step back when even 'he' felt the oncoming storm brewing within his dearest companion. It wasn't like he had meant for her to find out about what had happened tonight like this! Yet, he knew there was no escaping what was to inevitably follow, and sure enough this processed calculation didn't fail him.

“ **What!**  Rumplestiltskin!" Belle snapped in a fury of uncontainable might when she whipped her head to look back at the mechanical man staring right back with wide glowing eyes. "Oh my god-the both of you almost fell off a cliff? What the hell were you two doing out there and near the river no less! Not to mention you didn't even care to call me to let me know something like this was going on-or had already happened!”

"B-Belle... It was all an accident... I meant to call you but-but-" Rumplestiltskin tried to offer anything in hopes to placate her, but his cracked voice was but a mumble when he hunched his plated shoulders towards himself.

“Why didn't you call me to let me know about Henry running away from Avonlea in the first place then! Why didn't you lock the door to protect yourself after I left either?" Belle asked with her thin brows furrowing together as she rose up from the floor and back to full height as small as it was. Hurt, anger, and a bit of panic was piercing back at him with the way her bright sky blue eyes burned straight through his metal husk. "Don’t even get me started on the state of the TV either-I glanced into the break room when I got here in hopes you were there and.. I saw it... Why is the video tape from Marco’s folder spewing film out of it?”

A panic all his own crossed Rumplestiltskin's scaly visage at Belle's last few words while Henry standing alongside worriedly looked back and forth between the pair.

‘The tape! I forgot all about that! I was in such a mess within my programming-I-I must have failed to notice that I made the machine malfunction when I did!’ The animatronic thought to himself, and this realization caused his segmented fingers to stop kneading in their nervous tick. ' She said it had been spewing out? That means... I've gone and ruined that too... That tape... Was the only proof of the boy I once knew that I had-a-and I-I destroyed it!  _No! No! No! NO!_ '

Another surge of the tape's information flashed behind Rumplestiltskin's eyes then, sparking brief images of the tiny boy with the red sneakers and his old self standing back on his forgotten stage. As if to mock him the promise they had somehow made long before his arrival to Avonlea began to loop within his head, reminding him of all that he didn't understand, what he has lost, and all that he can not remember. A broken cry of distress almost slipped pass his clenched teeth at the thought of him having now ruined what little a connection he had left to the nameless child. 

Hastily he managed to pry himself from the errors corroding his systems, and turned his sunken head up from staring at the tips of his boots. Yet, he was not greeted to the sight of Belle standing there was crossed arms glowering at him in stewing anger like he thought he would see... Instead his flushed companion was wearing a softer expression then before that he did not understand just like so many other things this night.

“I see, so you did watch the tape when I was gone, but I just don't understand... Why you would do that after you told me we’d do it together? Even after the way I saw you were getting so scared of everything you were learning you chose to do that on your own-and then you chose not to call me or let me help you with whatever happened here..." Belle's cautious words stopped when she took a steady intake of breath, but he knew he had heard her emotions thickening in her throat. Her gentle reminder of that tiny vow between them, of watching it together, hadn't gone over his head though, and the guilt settled itself further inside his ports and parts.

Rumplestiltskin wanted to lower his head once more to hide behind his gnarly hair from her sight if it could have helped him. The machine felt his own anxiousness thrumming down each of his wires, begging him to go running off to his hide away to curl up inside the comfort of darkness. He didn’t want to have to endure the failure of disappointing Belle yet again with his obvious cowardice that she could so easily see. But he chose to keep himself stock still in place to await and receive the lashing he knew he deserved. Watching the tape by himself was his first mistake of many he has made in these last few hours, but it was his failure to call her after he terrified Henry to the point of running when as he faulted that was far worse than anything else.

“Why didn't you call me Rumple? About the tape or Henry or any of this-don't you trust me?”

The hurt glimmering in Belle’s eyes and spreading its way across her features, from her scrunched brows to her tightly pressed lips, was more powerful and invoking than any demand could ever be. His twitching hands longed to reach out and make right what he'd done wrong as they flinched at his side, but he knew that no action could equal the words that he needed to say. Before he knew it, just like how a flood of emotions had poured out of Belle as she held onto him not too long ago, everything he felt came gushing out of the cords and speakers in his throat.

“Belle, I’m sorry I did all of that! That I watched it without you, and that I didn't call you when I need-needed you-I truly am! I just-I just wanted to prove to you-to me, that I could handle these things on my own!" As Rumplestiltskin sputtered out his feelings and sparked the broken sensation at the corner of his eye sockets with their intensity he failed to notice Belle edging closer to him. "You’re so brave, and you take care of yourself so well without anyone's help at all-you don't even need me! But I on the other hand can't... I just wanted to show you that maybe I could be brave like you think I am-”

Instinctively he flinched back when one of Belle's now ungloved hands suddenly stretched upwards and near his awful gaping jaw. It was almost laughable how a simple act like that could make him recoil as if she was the one out the two of them who could break through bones and tear living beings apart with ease. Though he didn't doubt for a minute she could do that to something like him without having to lift a finger. Not a single human before had ever made him feel so conscious, so willing to try to change for both their sakes, or made him crave to be one of them as she did. Deep down he knew the slightest hint of her becoming disgusted or loathing of him would be enough to destroy him, rendering him only a walking pile of scrapped parts once more.

The uncertainty bared on her fair face made his ever present doubt settle in as it always did. Even though she tried to quickly reach for his cheek again he kept away from her finger's touch with a single backwards step. He couldn't bare such a pleasant pressure when he knew what was coming now-the inevitable conclusion to every bond he somehow manages to make, and it makes his gears twist in opposite directions against one another.

'She's finally going to reject me now-she's going to throw me away and leave me here to rot alone! Because I failed her again-I failed-just like him-like the boy I lost-I failed-I failed-'

Even though Belle's pale hand remained raised in the air she didn't administer a harsh slap against his face like he thought she might. There was no bashing his head about as he's endured before either, nor did the young woman go about screaming and spitting at his horrid existence or fuming at his worthlessness. All his dearest did was avert her pained eyes from his and slip both of her arms around his torso in a quick movement he hadn't been prepared for. Without a care or flicker of repulsion she leaned towards him and buried her face into the exposed crook of his neck, choosing to nestle her nose between his scaly metal hull and silk shirt.

The machine could only emit a faint gasp as he tried to understand what was happening against all his previous predictions. With a blink of his artificial eyes it became crystal clear for the past memories of long ago human interactions faded away with her comforting embrace.

This was the one of a kind Belle he had just been thinking about. She was his beloved companion, his noble knight, and best friend if he could be granted such a gift... Belle wasn’t like the others of her kind that he had known in the few short years he existed amongst them when it seemed all humans could do was stare at him in horror, fear, and apathy. 

She wasn’t expecting him to be this perfect 'toy' or lifeless contraption that she could toss aside or have torn apart when he failed to meet the expectations of a useful machine. Just like he never expected her to be some unshakable force that was undisturbed and unaffected by anything at all... Because tonight she had been affected. She'd been shaken to her core several times by her own fears and doubts, and that incredible strength of hers could only go so far.

“I’m so, so, sorry if I made you feel that way Rumple... I had no clue..." Belle managed to say after she released a tiny choked sound against his neck that made Rumplestiltskin tense in place. "But then again I left you to sit here all alone after-after all the awful things we read in those letters... I’m such a terrible excuse of a friend! I should have taken you with me-or I-I should have made sure that you were going to be okay!”

He couldn't help the sad smile that pushed up against his silicone cheeks, because that was most definitely the Belle he knew wrapped around his unsightly form. She would be the one person who would feel guilty when she's done her possible best and nothing wrong at all.

With innate tenderness he reached up with his own shaking hands and slowly curled his arms around her once more. Even though her puffy coat was in the way he could sense the pressure of her form against his outsides, 'feeling' for himself that she was there with him. Yet, it was knowing for sure that Belle, with how worn out and tired as she was now, still wasn't sickened by him or resentful of him that made the ache in the wires by his eyes start to burn in sheer relief.

“I'm so sorry, please don’t apologize my dearest-I’m the one who should be groveling at your feet... Everything is going to be okay now though, both Henry and I are right here with you safe and sound. R-Remember how I promised you before you left that I’d be right here when you got back-I-I kept my word..." The imp whispered into the crown of Belle's rich auburn hair as his lips had drawn near her forehead. His frightening desires were returning again, wishing him to kiss her skin and give back all the comfort she has given him, but he refused to indulge his selfish cravings for her.

“Augh! Rumple! " Belle's sudden tired groan filled the empty space around them as her rosy face tilted up closer towards his. "You did promise me that, but I keep thinking of how you went out there all on your own and almost got hurt because I wasn't there! I had a bad feeling this entire night, and of course when I ran out to protect the people close to me I only failed to help them...” Belle whimpered before she leant back enough from the mechanical man to wipe the back of her hand at the tear glistening down her cheek. “I didn’t want to leave you because I knew you were suffering from all those letters and that darn tape looming over your head, but I didn’t stop myself to ask if you were alright before I went running off. That one act nearly got you killed and Henry hurt or worse.”

“Listen to me, nothing is your fault here. You couldn’t have known what was going to happen tonight, nor could I, and even Henry had no idea what was going on when he ran here to Avonlea…” Rumplestiltskin tried to reassure her again, but his train of thought was broken when he saw said young boy reaching out his hand towards Belle. The security guard pulled back from him somewhat to look down and see Henry tugging gently at the sleeve of her coat, though they both noticed his vision was pinned upon the checkered floor.

“I-I’m sorry that I’ve caused you and Rumplestiltskin so much trouble Belle. I didn’t mean to startle you by being here, and I didn’t mean to get him almost killed because of what I did… I did-didn’t want to cause anyone pain…” Henry began apologizing and this caused the imp’s split eyebrows to give a small ‘clack’ as they flew up the tracks in his head. Just when he was about to inform the boy that he hasn’t done anything to cause him any sort of trouble-for that was the one thing the scrapped animatronic was good enough at doing all on his own, Belle’s voice rose up before his.

“Oh-Henry, I’m sorry for all that yelling I just did, and you’ve done nothing wrong regarding this here.“ The beauty motioned between her and Rumplestiltskin while the boy raised his head and gave a slight sniffle before she continued. "You see I’ve just been out there worried sick about you when I heard the news you were missing, and… I-I became worried for Rumplestiltskin too when I heard you had been seen at Avonlea. He’s far more than a machine as you probably already know by now, and he’s someone very, very, dear to me-I don’t know what I do if I ever lost him…”

Belle glanced back at him then, focusing her warm sky blue eyes on the imp’s own amber that drew him nearer to her even if it wasn’t physically.

Rumplestiltskin couldn’t stop the strange burning sensation that drifted through his plates and buried itself in his chest at her words. To hear for himself and from her flushed lips… That she felt the same way about him as he did for her in that regard, and that he was not alone in finding 'someone special’- _that she had chosen ‘him’_ … It sent all his systems soaring and threatening to short out his entire body from the pure joy tearing through his coding. However, the spark between them lasted only a moment longer before Belle was looking back down at Henry, and Rumplestiltskin was left to fight back his growing desire to nuzzle his welded slab of a nose against the side of her head.

“So... You’re really not mad at me for what I did-that I snuck into Avonlea without you knowing?” Henry asked her in a hushed tone as he clutched at his drooping book bag in an anxious manner.

Belle turned around entirely to face Henry better, but kept one hand pressed against part of Rumplestiltskin's chest peeking out of his shirt, making the gears right underneath her touch spin even faster.

“No, I'm not mad at you about that... In fact, I think I at least understand why you chose to come here even if I might not know why you ran away from home. Avonlea was a special place to me when I was kid too, and coincidentally I ran away once when I was about the same age as you. I ended up right here at Avonlea as well and got myself stuck inside here for a whole night without anyone on the outside knowing.” The worn security guard told the boy all this while managing to keep up a smile, though Rumplestiltskin could see the past shimmer across her lidded eyes. 

It sets off that night fourteen years ago in his own memory banks as well, sparking lost sensations and promises he made back then in the dead of night with a child just like this one here. It was baffling to the animatronic how these heartbroken kids kept getting drawn into Avonlea in the dead of night in search of comfort and peace. Their loneliness seemed to draw them to his prison's seemingly cheery walls and hopeful facade when all he's known living here for twenty eight years is just that-isolation. Yet, what was more improbable and unbelievable was the fact that both Belle and Henry had met him-the frightening beast lurking inside these halls, and had changed his entire world without having the slightest clue what they'd done.

“No way! I ran here to Avonlea so that I could talk to you, but why did you run away to Avonlea back then?” Henry gasped at her as if he was shocked anyone would ever have the same idea as him, and Belle just chuckled a bit in response with that beautiful laugh of hers.

“Well..." Belle began before taking a moment to pause and brush back some of her winding locks of hair that had curled over her shoulder. "At the time I was hurting deeply over my mother who had passed away three years previously on that same day that I ran from home... And even though it's been well over a decade since it happened it's a wound that still hurts me even now... For you see she...”

There was a slight tremble to her faint voice at the end, but the animatronic already knew she was becoming distressed as her small hand resting against him pressed harder into his shell. “She had suffered long term depression through out her life and had grown physically sick as well after an unfortunate accident... Her suffering became too great in the months afterwards, but we saw the warning signs too late and... She decided to take her own life. I was so young at the time I didn't understand why, and though now I understand as an adult as a child it had felt as if she had chosen to leave me and my father behind...”

Belle’s voice had sturdied itself there at the end as did the expression across her face which softened to a simple smile and relaxed brows. It was as if what she had said was just reasonable boring old facts like 'why the sky is blue' than the pain she had long endured and kept buried within herself.

But with those words Rumplestiltskin had felt all his servos lock up and completely freeze him in place, staring wide eyed at the human unnoticeably trembling against his metal frame.

He didn't know this part of the story-of Belle’s story. Just not long ago on a rainy night she had admitted to him that her mother had parted this world as all humans will eventually do, but she had not told him any ‘how’ or ‘why’. Rumplestiltskin never would've guessed just how terrible Belle’s mother death had been, for she made it seem like it wasn't something that mattered... But it did matter. He'd never inquired further into the subject before because, as he always somehow knew, there had been pain coiling itself through her entire body despite her having tried so hard to conceal it when she had spoke.

Yet, even now he saw past her fair smile and built exterior, seeing the hurting child inside who had ran off with only her jacket and her favorite book given to her by the woman long departed.

Without even a thought to it one of his lifeless hands reached up to touch Belle's living one, earning the tight grasp of her curled fingers around his cold digits. His dearest was looking more worn out than he'd ever seen her before, but Belle continued her story with her hand clenched in his.

“That day I ran away here in Storybrooke was on the anniversary of her death... I had felt so alone and heartbroken that she was gone, and that I couldn't see even her grave, that I ran away without thinking about my papa and how worried he’d be about me. As you know when I snuck into Avonlea I got locked in, but I was lucky in the fact that I met someone who protected me as well as looked after me till Avonlea opened up-the person who in the future had come to be my best friend.” Belle’s flushed lips flickered up into a fragile, but oh so real smile at the corner of her mouth before she leaned in a bit closer to the boy to whisper-though the mechanical man could easily hear her still.  _“Turns out you'll find just who you need when you least expect it, and Rumple was that for me... You know, despite seeming to be scary I've found he’s got a heart of gold deep down in there though he doesn't like to admit it.”_

“Yeah, I think so too.” Henry whispered back in agreement before he smiled happily as well.

Now it was the animatronic’s turn to squeeze Belle’s fingers back in hopes it might help stop the flood of emotions gushing through him.

“But, I also learned that running away from your problems while hoping that it fixes things won't help, and it won’t change anything like how you want it to be. You have to be honest and tell people how you feel for anything to change for the better or to understand why things are the way they are.” Belle’s tone had become orderly then, but she remained kind as she slipped her fingers out from the animatronic's and placed her hands at her hips. “What I did years ago was just as reckless as what you've done tonight, and you’ve made lots and lots of people worry about you, especially Emma. In fact-I need to do the right thing myself and go call her so that both she and Regina can know you're safe.”

Immediately Belle fished her phone out from within her coat pocket and started to press its tiny buttons which beeped in time with her taps. 

Rumplestiltskin watched on in nervous curiosity but caught the soft asking glance his dutiful knight casted between him and the boy. Henry had seemed to grow downtrodden in the spare seconds with Belle dialing Emma’s number, and the animatronic was sure he knew why. It was time for the kid to face his own inevitable conclusion-the return home and multiple scoldings as well as groundings he was about to get. Belle's free hand brushed across Rumplestiltskin's chest once more in a reassuring manner before she stepped away from them as her phone started to echo a dial tone down the hall. It left the equally worn out imp to turn back to the boy holding onto his backpack with a loose grip as if to drop it and make another dash to freedom.

A few seconds later the two could hear Belle suddenly speaking in the background as she managed to get a hold of Emma and share the good news. Emma's own frantic voice could be heard from even where the boy and the machine stood, and poor Belle had to try to keep up with the rapid muffles coming from her phone. Yet, it didn't slip past Rumplestiltskin's keen monstrous eyes when he saw Henry's head perk up at the chattering as if straining to hear everything being said.

“You should tell Emma and Regina how you feel Henry.” The imp informed the boy out of the blue, who looked back up to him with his soft brown eyes that spoke volumes when he did not. “Even if you feel like Emma wouldn't care to hear you out, and I can tell she does care about you so much, you need to make yourself heard-and with this other mother of yours too. There is no way anything can change if you don’t even try to make anything different, take it from me after all!" He tittered a bit and drew his clawed fingers about in the air for a whimsical effect. "My whole world didn’t change at all for twenty five years till I took a chance and opened myself up to Belle and let her in, despite all... The horrible things I've done in the past... So if there’s even the slightest chance for me to be happy then there has to be one for you.”

As his voice fell away there was a peaceful lull between them filled with only the creaking of Avonlea and Belle faintly ending the call down the hall with a clatter of her phone. Henry with his little coat and scarf looped about his neck, dirtied and tired, looked so small and out of place in this contained dark world around them. But it was the hope in his faint growing smile that made Rumplestiltskin in all honesty glad they had somehow come to meet this lonesome strange night.

“Yeah, you’re right, heroes don't just get handed happy endings anyways, and I think you can be happy too Rumplestiltskin. Even if you did something bad once that doesn't mean you're a villain for life... I say you’re one of the good guys now, and I know you’ll find that boy you're looking for-I believe in you.” Henry managed an even cheerier smile at that, and it made the ruffled imp smile hard till the hints of his blackened teeth showed in return.

"I... I hope I can find that boy too- _buuttttt_!" The imp sang before pointing a segmented digit at the child who grew obviously confused at his sudden change in behavior. "I don't think  _'saving the day'_  and  _'charming heroics'_  is my style I'm afraid. I'll stick to what I do best-deal making and lingering on the side lines...  _Along with keeping a rather unknowing 'knight' on the tips of her toes for sport._ " Rumplestiltskin was the one to whisper down to the boy now, but it elicited the response he was after when a playful scoff came from behind the pair. Together him and Henry chuckled between themselves as the tired looking 'knight-guard' crossed her arms with her flush lips drawn thin into an unamused line.

“Alright you two this 'knight' might not know what you're up to but Emma told me she’s already in her car right now and headed this way. She’s going to be taking care of picking Henry up, but with how worried she said Regina is we might possibly have the whole town at our back door soon.” Belle explained as she approached the duo. Discretely Rumplestiltskin gave her a slight nod, imitating her glance from earlier, to which she nodded gratefully in response.

“I know it's been an exciting night getting to meet Rumple and... Oh boy, almost falling off a cliff into the local river, but are you ready to head on home? I know for a fact your loved ones are more than ready for you to come back.” Belle turned her focus back to Henry who was looking far more tired and willing to return home now with the dawning hours passing by (Rumplestiltskin himself was impressed the boy hadn't passed out at this rate with how his eyes drooped).

“I'm not ready to face the grounding I’m about to get, but I can’t runaway forever right?”

“No one can runaway from anything forever, but if you ever need someone to talk to someone about anything at all you can always come find me. Take note that it might not be best for everyone to do so in the middle of the night though.” Belle laughed a bit in that pretty sound before seeming to come up with an idea which Rumplestiltskin could tell from the way her mouth formed a sudden 'o'. "I’m sure that he would love to be able to talk with you too about things, wouldn’t you Rumple?” Belle tilted her head towards him, spilling her frazzled curls about her back and looking at him from under her long lashes that had him under her thrall without any struggling on his part.

Not that she would need to worry about him not agreeing to such a request, it was in his programming to make kids happy after all.

“Yes! I think that’s an excellent idea, but I'm trying to figure out how we could do that with my constant...  _Predicament._ ” The imp hummed a bit as he thought it over, letting his odd unplaceable song drift from his throat before an idea of his own jumped into place. “We could exchange letters if you'd like! Belle could find a way to deliver them between the two of us, and that way we could keep in touch-secretly mind you. We can do that till I’m out of here at least, I promise.”

It was rare that Rumplestiltskin ever saw the light of day, but he swore with the way Henry's face began to beam in utter delight that this boy was far brighter than any sun.

“That would be so awesome! We'd be exchanging messages kind of like how actual secret agents do! You can write to me about how Avonlea is in your letters, and I'll tell you all about Storybrooke when I write so you'll be ready for it when you do leave someday! We could even make a code name for our operations and our own aliases to protect our identities.” Henry blurted out, looking more than just pleased with these turn of events with his newly enthused bouncing around.

"That sounds like an ingenious plan you two, and I will gladly be the postal carrier for you as well as the night guard." Belle remarked in fun, but Rumplestiltskin saw the way her face faltered a bit as she looked down at the screen of her phone. "Shoot, as fun as this is we need to keep an eye out for your mom Henry. Emma could be here any minute now so we better wait outside for her just incase."

"You're right... But..." The boy mumbled and as he frowned he glanced back to Rumplestiltskin who himself was feeling a sense of... Sadness smothering over their previous bought of joy. "I guess this means goodbye for now Rumple."

An odd sensation just as before, like something awful had fallen into the hollow portions of his neck and lodged itself there, began to rise up within the mechanical man. He knew he experienced a moment like this somewhat before when Belle as a child had been found that night fourteen years ago-but he couldn't subdue the sparking fear that was trying to crawl back up into his processors.

"Yeah, but I think we'll see each other again... So just... Don't f-forget about me-or else I'll have to come hunt you down myself to remind you! No one breaks a deal with Rumplestiltskin including little knights in training." The imp bared a bit of his jaw full of sharp metal bits, but Henry just crossed his arms with book bag in tow and shook his head.

"What are you going to do, take my first born? I know your fairytale by heart, and I'm only ten-you'd have to wait a long while before you got any possible kid of mine!"

"Alright, alright. I decree with my higher ranking status and title that there will be no taking of any first borns and there shall be no forgetting about any promises." Belle informed them both as she pocketed her phone and then set a hand with a quiet 'pat' upon Henry's shoulder. The imp pivoted his head towards her with a 'clack', wanting to rebuttal against her claim at having a higher title than him-he'd been around far longer than her after all and who was she to... But no, he didn't say a word further as his eyes lit up in dawning horror. Clamping down his hinged jaw he remained quietly in place when he realized that all he was doing was trying to keep them both lingering at his side when he knew they could not.

It seemed at the end of it all even he still had to face the inevitable outcome of this night as much as he didn't want to.

"I'll..." He began, noticing that amongst the three of them he was the one who needed to send them off. "I'll go to the break room and watch over you two from the window there! So go on-get out of here and get home, let's hope you don't get sick after all of this." He teased to Henry and the boy managed a smile for him even if there was distinct type of sadness still lingering in one so young.

"I sure hope not."

With effort Rumplestiltskin watched from his planted spot against the floor as Belle managed to turn Henry away, nudging him ever so slightly towards the direction where the back door loomed. With the flash light still clasped in one of her hands it lit the way for them and illuminated their world while he sank into the gaining darkness of the hallway. Yet, he could see with his own glowing eyes how the boy gave him one last look before reaching out his hand to take the one his dearest had offered him to hold. Hand in hand the two swaddled humans strolled from him upon echoing steps that caused his clicking parts to groan in protest with every beat-pushing him to move-to go after-to stop this to...

To stop them from leaving him.

**_(‘NO... YOU... CAN'T... CAN'T... GIVE...’)_ **

**_('-m afraid I can't do that-')_ **

Rumplestiltskin blinked his metal eyelids in confusion as he continued to watch Belle and Henry disappear even further from his sight. Where had those strange thoughts and voices he didn't recognize suddenly come from? He knows he's never seen what he just imaged flicker through his head ever before... Has he? Despite not being sure the momentary flicker of a man without a face... In a clean white coat... With an eerily familiar purple tie filled his vision as it burned itself into his system, but the memory or imagery-whatever it was invoked a response from his programing immediately.

**(#%R*01-A: ATTEMPTING TO ESTABLISH A CONNECTION. ERROR. ZOSO|PROTOCOL ENGAGED. IMPLEMENTING D#%:E*. RESTRICTIONS BEING SET. SERVOS LOCKING.)**

Something within the animatronic sparked then, and it sent his electromagnetically formed mind spinning in an attempt to reel away from the shocking images that had begun to filter through. In the darkness he felt the ever present eyes that haunted him watching it all too, curling themselves up about their broken forms and just as frozen as him in their inability to do anything but scream out in twisted cries. He didn't understand what he was feeling or experiencing as it tore through him, but he knew it was still as frightening as every time before and that he wanted to be able to move his body with all his might in hopes to escape it.

Yet, all his servos had locked themselves in place, rendering him immobile to the point he might as well be a statue stuck in perpetual torment to gaze upon in horror.

**_(‘-BACK... TO... ME... GIVE...')_ **

**_('-u're not safe for him to be arou-just can't let my-son get hu-')_ **

With another blink of his artificial eyes Rumplestiltskin saw the thin but long hallway shift and change with the loud buzzing in his skull screeching in protest. Where Belle and Henry walked became a vast empty room, without the familiar checkered tile floor nor the poster covered walls he had come to memorize but filled with indescribable things, machines, and objects he couldn't recognize at all. It flickered back and forth as his vision attempted to shift between modes, inverting and reverting, flipping colors inside out and make him want to scream in pure confusion though his vocal box couldn't make anything more than a faint crackled groan. There was nothing he could do as he remained stuck in place with his arms, fingers, and legs being bent in broken like positions forced upon him by the program running amok inside.

**_(‘-LIED... LIED... WE... HAD... A... A... A... A...’)_ **

**_('-nd I'm keeping to it-wanted-')_ **

There was quick flashes of the nameless lost boy-the one from the tape-the one he must have once knew so well, being taken away by the man with an abyss in the center of his head with his little hand in his larger one. These frightened Rumplestiltskin beyond reasonable belief, and yet somehow he knows he has seen these sights before more than once. It didn't end there. His terror grew tenfold when the scene changed and in the small boy's place was both Henry and Belle being taken away by this ghost like figure. The two of them were being lead towards the wall of light-hand in hand with the unknown man-into the world he couldn't follow them after-the light he wasn't meant to have embrace his horrid body, or to see with outside these walls, or to...

Be with them... Where they belonged and he did not.

 

**(DA^#01-A: FORMING A CONNECTION. CRITICAL ERROR. CRITICAL ERROR. SYSTEM BREACH. FAILURE TO CONTAIN. OVERIDE-DAG:ER SUBJUGATING.)**

It almost hurt, the way the programming began to rip through whatever he was within the machinery he dwelled.

But nothing hurt more than the realization of what was soon to come.

****_('WE... HAD... A... DEAL.')_ ** **

Everyone he ever cared about he always lost or had torn from him...

They were taking them away from him just the same...

Always... Always... It. Made. Him. So.  **A** **ngry.**

He swore he'd make them pay.

For how they took the boy.

The boy... The boy...

B...

_**('Looks like you made a deal you didn't understand.')** _

**'THUD!'**

A sudden sound, quickly processed by his receptors as being the back door closing shut-but too loud in such silence, rattled the machine from the haywire machinery screaming in his skull.

Everything within his vision snapped back to normal, leaving him recoiling and trembling back in the ordinary hallway of Avonlea he has always known. With a loud pop his servos released their strenuous hold against his limbs and let them grow slack, but he lost all understanding of the mysterious program that had appeared when it relinquished its control over him. For when the programming disappeared Rumplestiltskin felt the echoes of the voices he didn't know sink into the depths of his mind to rest in their binary graves.

But it was what he saw that was terrorizing him more than anything else.

The people he cared about being taken from him. It hurt too much, it was the most frightening thing he's seen yet in the hellish scape that was his world.

'Belle... Henry... I... Don't-don't go... Don't leave me...'

It was just an illusion-a horribly crafted nightmare out of broken wires and runaway electrical pulses, nothing more and nothing less. However it had done more than just cause him momentary paralysis and left him crumbling to the floor upon his knees as he was now. The flashes were a reminder or a forewarning of what would be his reality if he choose to keep walking down this path. Perhaps he was insane in that aspect, the cruel possibility made him smile though it was hardly out of joy, for if he kept expecting a different outcome to happen when he knew the results there could be no other explanation.

'I keep forgetting... I keeping holding onto the idea that my existence can be more than just this... Shameful excuse for 'living'. That I can find someone or people to... To stay... To want me... I keep building up more and more hope that things will change.' Rumplestiltskin's pained smile fell and turned into a grimace bearing all the pain his metal hinged jaw and facial mechanics could across his artificial face. After a few seconds of fighting against these struggling emotions he rose to his feet upon clattering limbs before starting to shuffle the opposite way down the hall towards the break room.

There's been so many promises made tonight, so many he wants to keep with everything that he is but he knows they won't be no matter how hard he tries. It stings because he's already setting himself up for too much that could all slip away in a single second. Staying by Belle's side for as long as she wanted him, finding the nameless boy who must have meant something to him to cause him this much agony, having his own freedom from hiding in this walls-all these things are what he desired but knows is far more than what a broken monster like him deserves. Even if he’d managed to not ruin another life tonight nor scar them with his horror it didn't mean he was still not the thing that has caused so much pain and hurt so many with their blood rusting down his mechanical innards.

He knows this. The animatronic that follows him in all his reflections is still there, lurking in the panel of clear glass-the one that he had come to a stop beside as he had been startled yet again by the sudden movement that was only him.

Rumplestiltskin cringed at the small fleeting sight of his ugly face in the pane to the kids entertainment area, but quickly looked away to spare himself as his systems returned under his control. It was just another cruel reminder of what he couldn't forget and what he knows can never be. It all remains despite the years that have passed-the sins that stain him, the endless fear tormenting him, and the reality that no amount of wishful thinking, no ‘fairy godmothers’, or ‘true loves kiss’ could ever cure.

Nothing will ever change.

Not for something like him.

—————

It's been a crazy night.

So much more crazy, wild, and frightening then the small woman named Belle French could have ever thought possible. Between the old letters she’s found of Mr. Getto’s and the unknown man named Zoso, to the the alarming bits of Rumplestiltskin’s past being brought to light, and to her now awaiting the reunion of a runaway child and their mother she’s ready for her world to return to normalcy.

Well, as normal as her world was anymore-not that she would alter or change it for a single moment.

With a shy glance Belle turned her head from the cold empty parking lot and Henry standing beside her to the break room window where the blinds had opened. Sure enough, thanks to the dim light from the sole lamp post outside, the beauty could see the shape and figure of someone at the pane of glass. Rumplestiltskin stood there looking out towards both her and the boy with his glowing eyes as piercing as the very edge of dawn purging the darkness. Yet, knowing he was there comforted her jittery nerves and made the woman swaddled in her puffy coat relax a bit more with each shared glance and soft smile between them.

After all that has happened tonight he’s alright, but she still needs some reassurance from him to still her throbbing heart. Perhaps he wasn't completely alright with how frightened he had looked as they had left him, but he is... Nothing bad has become of her mechanical man even through faults and glitches and terrifying situations. Henry was fine too, safe from any harm or danger a kid could get into in the middle of the night, and she couldn’t be more happy about it.

Though there still remained the fact both of them nearly fell of a cliff into a river and meet a grisly end that had her heart and nerves racing off again.

‘When I get back inside I’m still going to need to scold Rumple about that as well as him attempting to watch that tape without me! Why does he think he has to do all these things on his own to prove himself-ah... I don't have much room to talk in that regard, but he must know that I care for him just as he is... Fears, claws, and all.’ Belle huffed to herself under her breath that rose into the night air as a wisp, but she slipped back into tired contentment when she found she couldn’t stay mad at him. ‘Despite making some bad choices he was very brave tonight with leaving Avonlea and going after Henry to make sure he was alright. And he thinks he’s not able to be brave when he is so often! What a strange being my Rumple is...’

Belle jerked away from her far off thoughts when a muffled chirp rose up from her coat pocket to shatter the stillness of the outside world. Upon withdrawing her phone she's greeted to a new text message alert at the top of the screen. It's from Ruby, and as the worn night guard scrolls through the message the young boy at her side inconspicuously tries to peer over her arm to read it as well.

"Who was that from? Was it my mom?" Henry asked as he glanced up to her, appearing to be the one more worried now with how his eyebrows had risen.

“No, it was just from Ruby, she wrote to say that she's glad to hear you've been found and that Emma’s tearing through town and will be here any second-it's a good thing she's the deputy. Also, she wanted me to give you an earful for making her and Granny as worried as they've been tonight about you, but I think you'll have more than a earful from your parents later.” Belle reminded him, earning a rather sheepish look from the boy who reminded her a bit of the imp lingering and watching over them a few feet away.

“I know I will, even though I've already got a good talking to from you and Rumplestiltskin. But it's so weird... He’d made a pretty good dad if he was… You know,  _human and stuff_.” The brown haired boy sighed in dejection, but it’s what he said that sent the beauty off into into a state of alarm.

'Oh no-I forgot about one huge important fact! Henry knows about Rumple's existence now! I might be about to send him off and then find Mr. Getto and the whole town raising arms over at Avonlea to get rid of Rumplestiltskin when they break off the search party!' The beauty realized, making her eyes fling wide open and a flicker of shock dart across her rosy features. Honestly, she doubted she'd ever see a mob raising pitchforks and torches hurrying about Storybrooke towards Avonlea like some scene in a horror movie, but that didn't stop the idea of a hunting party for her animatronic from making her skin crawl.

“Now Henry before you go we need to talk about something very important.” Belle hastily spoke, deepening her accent a bit, as she set a hand on his shoulder to keep him focused. “Now you already know Rumple is dear to me-that he's my best friend in the whole world, but as he's probably told you I’m the only one who knows about him right now. I need you to promise me that you won’t mention anything about him to Regina, or Emma or anyone at all. In order for me to keep him safe I need him to remain a secret till he can leave Avonlea and live with me, and that means no one else can know... Just incase they might not-you know...”

It comes back then, the doubt that continues to haunt her every night when she lays her head to sleep and leaves every conversation between other people an inch too short of a proper connection.

Out of all the humans in the world and the few she's met and known she has chosen someone not physically human in the slightest to have part of her tender heart without realizing it till tonight. She's given it to a machine, no... To a  _man_  who could be so easily taken from her or lost from within her reach, leaving her to suffer quietly alone like she had as a child which was a way of life she didn't want to experience again. The mere thought of loosing Rumplestiltskin was more painful than her crippling fears of loneliness though, it was enough to make her heart clench in agony because it meant that she would never see the man she's... She's...

She's not sure... But she knows what she feels for Rumplestiltskin is beyond the bounds of companionship or any type of friendship she's felt before.

In that moment Henry noticed her straining emotions despite the security guard putting on her best face to keep it contained.

He smiled at her confidently, like he knew exactly what he was doing and that she had nothing at all to fear, so much like her imp. “Don’t worry Belle, I don't plan to tell anyone about him, not even Emma since it might cause harm. I don’t want to get Rumple hurt or end up endangering you two, so on a secret agents honor I will keep this entire event classified.”

“Thank you, I hope someday that maybe the three of us could actually hang together, but properly and during the day time.” The young woman released a short chuckle for she couldn’t help but imagine such a thing like that coming to be-a happier time with the three of them spent in a warm spring day than in this cold winter night. There could be a world with Rumplestiltskin by her side within the sun, happy and free from the darkness that shackled him-along with Henry, perhaps Emma too, or Graham, Ruby, and her father enjoying life…

It was the perfect dream, and Belle opened her eyes that had almost closed in her pretending to the current reality that remained as it was.

“That would be nice, and oh... Belle..." A mitten covered hand patted at her own resting on his shoulder, seeming to want to reassure her instead. "I’m sorry that you got hurt a long time ago bad enough to want to runaway, but I’m glad that you understand. It's nice that someone does, and somehow I knew you would.”

“Things happen for a reason, and I say what has happened here tonight is no different, though a bit unconventional.” With a step the beauty rose back to full height before looking at the horizon of sky that was still so dark and yet would soon be alight with the dawning sun. “When I ran to Avonlea all those years ago Rumplestiltskin had watched out for me without me even knowing he was there. On accident he had kept my most favorite book I had taken in there with me-it was a book my mother gave me, the last true thing I had of her, and I was devastated to have lost it. But, it turns out that book was just what Rumple needed to give him hope while he remained all alone, and now tonight it was you who helped him.”

Henry stared at her in disbelief which was a common look he had worn this night, but it made Belle wonder if he had been loosing so much hope too. It’s a saddening thought that made the young woman wish she could ensure him that it would never happen again.

“I did? B-But I didn't do anything-or give him anything like you did.”

A glimmer of amusement crossed Belle's eyes as she recollected the happy smiles and affectionate expressions the mechanical man had worn when speaking to Henry. A being born of cold metal, without blood nor heart, had brought happiness to this boy. It was a task that he was so apt to even if he believed all he could do was cause pain and misery. Yet, without a single trace of fear Rumplestiltskin had teased Henry and had not suffered any of his 'fits' that he was constantly afraid would make him act out another tragedy like the one she knew so little about twenty five years ago.

So she nodded to Henry while brushing back a bit of her hair that was flying about by the cold air still tugging at them this late in the fading night. “You did more for him than you know. He’s a pretty lonely guy wether he'll admit it or not, and I know he’s still figuring out that he can count on me to care for him, but he was positive he could never befriend a child again after an accident he caused a long time ago… So you’ve made him pretty happy by being his friend-”

Suddenly their conversation came to a halt as the increasing sound of a rumbling engine and tires against pavement reached their ears. The duo looked to the adjacent road from the wide empty parking lot to see an old yellow bug rushing right towards Avonlea with all its might. With a harsh turn the car pulled itself up into the parking lot, flashing its bright headlights towards them, and causing Belle and Henry to put up their arms against the beams glaring in their faces. The small car came to a sharp stop, and in an instant the sound of a car door slamming shut broke the nights silence as Emma Swan herself came dashing over in her red leather jacket.

To Belle the sight was like a fairytale in someway with the hero rising from the blinding light to rescue her child in need, but there were no hungry dragons or evil queens here to fight-only a hidden mottled sorcerer and his tiny knight.

“Henry!”

"Emma!"

Belle stepped back as the blonde haired woman and the young boy raced to each other, and she watched them as they collided in a desperate hug brimming with worry and affection. Emma was the one to withdraw first though, and as she got down on her knees in front of Henry she brushed at his coat sleeves as if making sure he was alright.

"What the heck are you doing out here kid? I've-we've been looking for you for hours-we didn't know if you were even still in town! Why on earth did you runaway in the middle of the night like that?" The deputy started questioning in a rush while the security guard observed from the side lines. Distraught was evident in how tense Emma's stance was even before the kid, and yet Belle felt herself grow a bit... Jealous of the way the woman was so utterly worried over her child. She knew it was silly to feel that in such a way, but it was a concept to her so lost and almost foreign that it caused an ache to form within the hollow of her chest.

Brushing the ache aside Belle kept her eyes pinned to the back of Henry's head since it was all she could see of him and caught what the boy was saying in a strained voice. "I'm sorry Emma... I shouldn't have ran away after what I did to get to Manhattan to see you, but I didn't know what else to do. When Regina told me she wouldn't let us be together I got so upset that I thought all I could do was run away so that you'd..."

"Kid, we can find a way to hang in Avonlea some other time if that's what you want, and I'm sorry that I let you down like that yesterday. Regina and I don't see eye to eye, but that is no excuse for either of us behaving like that and you being treated this way in response." Emma seemed to emit a soft exhale at that as her worry began to subside and her usual rationality took its place.

"No-I... I don't want you to have to do anything with me because you feel sorry for me or because of Regina! If you don't want to stay here in Storybrooke then I don't want to be the one to keep you here. If you don't like me that's okay. I just wanted to get to know you and..." Henry trailed off after that, lifting a hand to brush against his face in a swift swipe, but it was clear to even Belle standing feet away that he was on the verge of tears again. The effect was contagious for the beauty felt water form at her eyes too in a mixture of her own past feelings as well as what that poor child must be enduring.

Henry's pain reminded her that she had spent many years after her mothers death questioning if she had ever been truly loved or wanted. Sometimes at night she'd lie awake in that small bed wondering if the person who once sat and read storybooks with her on the couch, baked cookies with on winter afternoons stuck inside, or had helped her plant the roses in their lost garden far from here had been suffering the entire time. Was each wonderful memory that Belle had stored away completely different then the ones her mother had collected? Had there been just not enough for Colette French to love in her tiny daughter or to hold onto after she lost another so precious? 

These were all questions she had thought about so many times, but Belle was a grown up now with her own experiences with life and its cruelty. She knew why her life had shattered that day for years now, but even as an adult she sometimes still questioned just why things had to be...They way they turned out.

"What? I do like you Henry! Do you think I really don't want anything to do with you?" The alarm in Emma's voice pulled Belle away from her own clinging pain, and silently she watched as conflict darted across the deputy's strong features before she calmed again. "I'm not going to lie to you or make you hope for something I can't promise you. I'm not cut out to be a parent Henry or the person you need, but I do want to get to know you, and even if you rode a bus all the way to Boston-which is ridiculous and senseless, I'm glad you found me. If I somehow made you feel as if I don't care, I'm sorry."

There was a quiet moment nestled between them, and though the beauty barely saw Henry nod she saw a smile, genuine too, break over Emma's features in reply. As if realizing that they were not alone out in this desolate parking lot Emma rose back up to full height and faced Belle, appearing more serious then before but still softened around her edges.

"Belle, thank you for finding him and taking care of him. I hope he didn't cause you too much trouble sneaking into Avonlea. If there is any way I can repay you for looking after him-" Belle cut the other woman off with a slight wave of her hands, and Emma set her hands at her hips as the wind tugged at her blonde bouncing curls.

"He didn't cause me any trouble at all and don't worry about it. If anything all I want is for him and you to be safe at home out of this awful cold, Avonlea'snot the warmest place to be stuck in at night." Henry looked at her with a secret knowing look and the trusty knight shot him a playful wink. "Now he's already gotten an earful so far, but I'm sure he still has much more he needs to say as well as you do."

"Oh yeah, we're not done talking about this at all." Ms. Swan shot a strict gaze down towards the young boy standing by her side who was once again peering over his scarf like it could hide from the trouble he was about to get into. "And Regina is going to kill me for sure this time if I don't get you back  _asap_." With one last look Emma nodded her thanks towards the security guard, looking fairly happy despite being out in such a wretched temperatures as well as this late in the morning. "Thank you again for taking care of him Belle and have a good rest of your night-sorry we pulled you away from work."

"Ah, Avonlea is still intruder free and nothing's broken so I say that's good enough, and same to you both."

Emma turned to lead her and the kid to the car still rumbling away, but she was kept from moving forward when Henry remained firmly in place. "Wait! Let me say goodbye to Belle please!" He pleaded before running back over to the shivering knight and plowing into her comfy coated stomach with out stretched arms. Belle laughed a bit at the tight embrace from one so small but put her hands around the boy too, leaning down enough so she could squeeze him and set her head against the fly away hairs on the top of his.

 _“Thanks again Belle, and tell Rumple thanks for me too-he's not as bad as he thinks he is.”_  Henry whispered to her, and Belle tenderly nodded, promising herself she would be sure to be go back and give Rumplestiltskin another round of the boy's praise. Just as Henry was about to let her go he stopped halfway in motion, letting her get a glance of a playful smirk that spread its way across his red cheeks.

 _“By the way... I can tell by the way he talks about you that he loves you just as much as you love him. So don’t think he wouldn’t be sad if he lost you too._  Bye!” He was quiet till the last departing shout of 'good bye', but Belle was far more startled by his hushed words than any sudden bellow he produced.

And just like that Henry released her and bounded back over to Emma waiting by the car, leaving the security guard to stand in place with heat shooting up into her cold wind-nipped cheeks.

_'Henry thinks Rumple and I are in l-love each other? W-What!' But-what-I couldn't be-'_

The flabbergasted beauty didn't have time to stop and think the alarming idea over with the boy and the town deputy departing.

“Oh-good bye!”

Together mother and son returned to the car that was purring steadily and ready to take them far away from the darkened fun center and back to their homes where they belonged. Henry shot Belle one last glance before crawling into the passengers seat and closing the door, and the young woman managed to fight off the watery sensation prickling at her eyes to wave them both off. There she stood alone under the single lamppost upon the vast parking lot, watching as the bug rolled onto the street before taking off back into the rest of Storybrooke. The quiet returned when the whirring of wheels was long gone, and Belle shivered at the gale creeping across her bare portions of skin before deciding to retreat Avonlea.

She noticed the break room window was empty of any shadowed figures when she tugged at her coat and returned to the backdoor, locking it up tight and arming the alarm system behind her. The young woman felt glad to be back inside the fairly warmer halls she has grown used to patrolling, and as she peeled off her gloves she planned to do just that. However, she was looking for someone very specific in her search, someone who might just be trying to hide from her after all that had happened tonight.

'He better just come out and face the music since we've still got things that need to be addressed, and I need to make sure he's actually okay.' Belle told herself while her foot steps echoed around and bounced down the hall. The beauty was more than just tired, but she was determined to face the remaining problems head on, starting with her beloved beast.

The security guard stopped in place at the junction of the hall, trying to hear if there were any of Rumplestiltskin's ‘clacking’ foot falls, but she heard nothing from either direction. Instinct naturally drew her left towards her office, and Belle was not surprised at all to see him in the dimly lit room when she peaked over the edge of the door frame. Her blue eyes softened at the sight of her companion once again sitting in front of the large TV that was against the wall, staring blankly into the screen that reflected back a distortion of his face. Yet, with his torn up shirt and ragged appearance the machine looked even less himself then before, like he'd somehow lost parts and pieces in the little time she'd been gone. It caused the guilt for abandoning him to grow even worse for the beauty despite her knowing that it was never intentional.

As Belle quietly inched over the frame she spotted something lying in the animatronic's open hands and near about to slip out of his fingers. Strewn across his lap, green gold palms, and the floor were strands of the ribbon like tape from the VHS slot.

When Belle had first ran into Avonlea after hearing the news Henry had been seen there she had been so sure if anything were to have happened Rumplestiltskin would be just where he was currently or in his hideaway to keep out of sight. So it came to her as a great surprise when she'd tore through the back door, down the hall, and into the empty office to see the destroyed VHS spewing forth from the previously blue screened TV. The sight had sent her mind spinning into a flurry of confusion and then dawning horror when she ran back out to call for him desperately.

Overall she still knew nothing about why anything had occurred like it had, but now she had an idea of what might have.

"I think it's ruined." The mechanical man suddenly spoke, and his voice startled Belle a bit from her spot hidden by the door. Sometimes she forgot Rumplestiltskin could hear far better than her so her walking down the hall must have been a dead give away. 

Belle removed herself from the shadows of the doorframe, drew herself into the room, and tugged off her coat to set on her chair neatly on top of his leather one, though she noticed the torn up coat from the cabinet crumpled on the floor by her desk. Without a care she set herself down on the carpet right next to the mechanical man, and together they sat side by side without a word as her normal gaze and his luminous one peered at the blank surface of the TV that was displaying the unorthodox pair within its darkness.

Slowly Belle's bare fingers reached out and curled around a bit of the tape near her feet to inspect the damage. Parts of the film look warped, like out of the blue the device couldn't handle playing the video and had damaged it from faulting. It made the inquisitive side of her wonder if maybe the old TV was stuffed back into storage for a reason besides that it was in the way or out of date.

"Rumple, you couldn't have known it would have done this, but I do agree with you that it's an unfortunate loss... Part of your past is now... Just gone like that." Her voice hardly broke the silence, but she glanced over to her companion instead of the TV, wanting to see how he was coping with this knowledge.

Rumplestiltskin made that odd sigh of scraping metal while he bent his head forward, hiding his silicone face from her by a curtain of his wiry hair. “It wasn’t the VCR, even if it is broken or at least it's not functioning right-not anymore... I had to use something else to watch the video from, and in my 'hope' to find answers... I in a bought of- _incompetence_  chose to use myself.”

His admittance swept over Belle, and cleared up all her previous confusions as it began to click into place.

While it was natural for him to think to use himself as a replacement machine she doesn't like it when he just goes about hooking himself up to other things like he was a cheap tool to use or that his body didn't matter. Thinking of him more than likely squirming and screaming out in pain while attached to the screen before her made her fair features tighten into a frown. Those gentle hands of hers let go of the film in her grasp and placed themselves on the floor, longing to creep over and brush against Rumplestiltskin’s beside her.

It's then she noticed something not quite right about that metal hand near own. Behind the frill of his sleeve and jutting from his wrist was a piece of him-a metal bolt sticking out when she knew it shouldn't be.

"Rumplestiltskin your hand! Oh no-what happened to it? Is it broken?" The beauty squeaked, and before the imp could even respond she was scooping up the cold digits and twisting the joint to get a better look at it. It didn't look broken from a quick look over, but he wasn't built perfectly like a human and she only had a limited knowledge about how just simple machines worked.

"No-no, it's fine, dearest. I'm sorry I didn't tell you about this either, but it's nothing terrible. The bolt got pushed out when I had to climb back up the cliff, but with a flat head screw and a clamp I should be able to put it back in its place." The animatronic explained, glancing down to his oddly slanted wrist and back up to Belle with a strange expression pressed into the corners of his mouth. "Don't worry about it I'll fix it later-"

"No. We'll fix it for you right now and we'll do so together." Belle informed him without hesitation as she let her sharp eyes keep their hold on his own wide amber ones. Even though his metal was terribly cold in her grasp, for her hands were still a bit numb from being outside so long, she didn't let go of him-not yet. "I'll go get the tools-you said a clamp and a flat head right? Then I'll be right back, so don't move a single inch."

Rumplestiltskin seemed at a loss once more for any words. His lips just trembled slightly before he made a strange faint tittering sound and nodded towards her. It wasn't quite a 'yes' but she knew what he meant, and so Belle released his hand, setting it in his lap with care and got back up to her boot clad feet.

It didn't take long at all for the security guard to find the necessary tools back in the maintenance room, and so she hurried down the hall to return to her animatronic. She wasn't surprised to come back to her office and find he kept to her demands in the exact literal sense as he hadn't moved an inch from his spot-he hadn't even moved to sit on the couch or anywhere more comfortable. Belle rolled her eyes at that but entered, catching how Rumplestiltskin's twisted his head as he turned to stare at her. On the carpet she set herself next to him as before, but this time she took out of the tools from the nooks of her arms and set the clamp down on his wrist with his assistance to hold the part together. With the screw driver and a bit of instructions from him she began to twist the part back into his hull, shifting her gaze to his face every now and then for the tinniest flinch in warning.

"Does it hurt at all-me twisting this into you?"

"No, I can kind of sense it when you turn it, but you know I can't feel 'hurt'. Then again you're a strange human that tends to forget such things..." The animatronic said without much effort or playfulness laced in his voice like he usually did when teasing her about it.

He was looking horribly tired if a machine knew such a feeling, but with him Belle was never sure. His grayish lips kept tight in a firm line conveying little as he continued to stare at the scaled imp staring right back from the curve of glass before them. It remained quiet as she kept up her attempt at repairing him, but before the stillness could fully settle he started to speak again with his face tilted from hers.

“I... When I plugged myself into the TV and used my programming to watch the tape I knew something wasn't quite right at first, but I kept on going for foolish reasons. Because of that and things that I-I saw from the tape or myself-I don't know-I faulted horribly, worse then ever before in my lif-existence... I became a monster again, and... I terrorized another human.”

Those large clawed fingers of his curled up underneath her grip, causing her hand busy with removing the clamp to falter. Without a thought more she dropped the tool and took his trembling arm within her grasp, holding him as the obvious emotions bubbling up in him began to spill over. Rumplestiltskin appeared to notice her shifting touch like always despite his lack of flesh and nerves as Belle felt the tips of his fingers as he brushed the others against the back of her hand.

Belle's compassion took over above all else, and even if her curiosity was calling out for her to obtain more answers to sate its need she asked him everything out of genuine concern.“What you saw might have caused you to fault, but it wasn't as if you were trying to on purpose, and Henry hardly looked terrorized... Rumple, you don't have to tell me, but I want to understand why you had a 'fit'. What things did you see to cause you to hurt so much?”

Finally the imp sluggishly turned his head and stared back at her with his strange eyes that she loved to see sparkling with joy and happiness, not the melancholy and distress they bared now.

“The only thing I can remember from the tape and what I saw was... A boy. He-he looked a lot like Henry but younger, about six or... F-Four? But he had red little sneakers, sat on the old stage I used to have with me, and he spoke to me-he said... Augh..." Rumplestiltskin's voice was a low pitch when he'd begun, the human tone he's starting to use more often, but without warning he was flinching, sputtering, and attempting to tear his hands away from her to reach up towards his head. It set Belle on full alert, and the human shifted on her knees to grasp at his plated shoulders incase she needed to hold onto him.

"H-He asked me-me-me ‘Hey Zero-One-A are you awake?’, and then everything got so much worse-I thought I saw other things-things... F-Faces and many of them...Possibly a man... But I don’t know if it was all real or just some broken thing made from my faulting system! Yet he was real-I know that boy was real-is real! W-We knew each other once, but he's been gone so long-taken away from me-taken away! I can't even even remem-mem-ber his n-na-na-nam-name-forty-four-forty-four-can't remember anymore-”

He was faulting again. With how his head was starting to lull and his voice was tearing itself in two between high pitched and broken notes Belle could tell that he was suffering from whatever memories of this unknown boy he'd received from the tape. In a quick movement the young woman was over his stuck out legs, pinning them beneath her slacks as she reached up her hands to clasp at his own that were trying to dig those dangerous claws into his skull. Belle's hands wrapped tight around the cold ones that still burned against her sensitive skin, but she didn't let go while she drew them to her chest.

“Rumple you're alright. Please calm down-please, I'm right here with you.” Belle begged him, forgetting all formalities or concealing her growing adoration from him when she was nothing but worried about his system crashing or doing something far worse. "I'm not going to leave you all alone here, but you've got to come back to me-that's all I ask! Come back to me." The animatronic stopped mumbling as Belle held onto him, but his eyes were still so broken with how they spun within the darkness they floated in. She was relieved they didn't flicker to the terrifying pinpoint dots, yet they peered at her as if they were seeing straight through and into her, far past her fleshy exterior and into all that she was.

"Yes-I'm here... I can't disappear-I promised I'd be with Belle whenever she were in Avonlea a long time ago-back then she was so lonely and small..." He croaked when he talked, but Belle just held onto his metal hands tighter to help bring him back to her. "I promised to protect her-that she'd never have to be a-alone, but I promised that boy I'd be with him always-to never leave him, and I did... I lost him th-thirty years ago after we made that deal-I lost him just the same as I do everyone... Oh B-Belle...  _Why does everyone leave me?_ "

He hunched forward towards her, brushing his scaly forehead against the side of her head, and it was easy for the beauty to hear the sobbing sound start rising up from his plated throat.

"N-No matter how hard I t-t-try everyone that ever ma-mat-tters to me-everyone that I want to protect or please eventually don't want me... I'm tossed aside or forgotten-ten... Zoso... The boy... Marco... Everyone... P-Please don't leave me Belle-even when the year is over.... I don't want to lose you... Please. I'm sorry-I'm so s-selfish, but I care about you too much and-I-I-just want to be with you."

A pain worse then any she's felt before rips through her chest and digs into her heart at his agonized pleas. Not long ago this same night she'd said those same words, both desperate and hopeful though also fearful and terrified as she clung to him just like he did her now.

_'I don’t want to lose you...'_

_'I just want to be with you.'_

_' _Don’t think he wouldn’t be sad if he lost you too.'__

A choked sob forced its way out the beauty's throat too, and all she could do was nod in response against his face, trembling with his own jittery hands placed next to her heart.

"I'm not going anywhere without you Rumple. I don't want to be alone anymore either, but more than that I just want to be with you-you Rumplestiltskin... So you've got to stay with me too just like you promised." Belle's words fell from her lips with a bit of effort for her heart throbbed at each syllable, but with them came the release of those painful fears. Belle could feel the weight of Rumplestiltskin's head dropping to rest against her shoulder when she brought him closer to her, but it felt like as if she was lighter than before with his touch. What pain and terror she has and feels that she also dreads that no one cares to understand is not unjustified, because she is not alone in hurting this way when the machine draping himself over her is just the same, he understood.

They didn't need to be afraid though, because they didn't have to be alone anymore.

With care Belle took both of his hands and filled the notches between those steel fingers with her own, and it made her heart beat in bliss at how perfect they fitted each other.

As Rumplestiltskin's faint cries against her skin died down his words eventually clipped back in where she could understand them again. “Thank you Belle... Thank you... I’m so sorry I broke my word by watching the tape without you and how I didn't call you about Henry or what happened to me-I really am. If you were here none of this would have happened. I r-ruined everything you've risked for me...” His bulbous eyes flickered over to the mess of film swirled around them, and Belle could tell he was growing angrier at himself by the second.

“No, shush, you didn’t ruin everything, and forget about the silly tape. The you here in this present with me here right now matters far more than whatever you of your past lies in there. I don't care if we never find that man ZOSO or that we don't ever learn where you came from if it means you’re whole and alive-and happy.”

"I terrified Henry though... That's why he ran from Avonlea in the first place. I was faulting and I thought he was that boy from the tape in my confusion, but when I realized that the boy from the things I saw was long gone I lost it... I screamed at him, Henry ran in fear, and then nearly got h-hurt because of me, and the horror he wore when I was trying to save him... I'm a monster Belle, through and through." 

The imp coddled to her seemed to be hiding himself against her white shirt, and the human let go both of their hands so she could thread hers through his coiled hair. It was a soothing motion her mother had once done for her when they laid in her tiny bed while they read the story of that tiny patched up rabbit and his boy to her night after night. Rumplestiltskin seemed to like the touches as well for his tense rigid form slackened against her body, and he sighed a gentle crackled sound near her ear.

Belle carefully slipped a hand under his mighty jaw then to bring his eyes back up to hers, letting him see her bared emotions just as she saw his twitch across his machinery and bits.“You can’t blame yourself for that, and look even if you did scare Henry you went out, found him, brought him back, and made him smile after he looked so sad and heartbroken. You went and protected a child-you, the fearsome Rumplestiltskin had protected a child wholly and completely without even harming a hair on his head, just like me when I was small. There’s proof enough that you can't be a monster.”

A sudden clarity wiped away the glaze ghosting his eyes, and sparked a heat inside her heart and body at how he looked at her with such awe. One of his large hands found its way gently down to her side and curled around her hip, creating a flood of warmth to pulse though her skin that tried to make her pattering heart stop altogether.

“You helped save me from falling. The promise I made you, and Henry, and that boy... It saved me. At first I thought that was what I deserved, to die and sink down to the bottom of that river, but..." Rumplestiltskin clenched his jaw tightly together and held onto his beautiful knight as if he'd start to sink down into the ground and collapse if he let go. "Is it so wrong to hope I can have a second chance? Is it wrong for something like me to want to be with you and see the world outside these walls with you. T-To maybe find that boy too? I know I only have faint memories of what he looked like thirty years ago... I know I stand no chance at ever seeing him again, and that I don't belong out there in the first place...”

He stops talking because he is scared, but Belle finally understands after all this time what he is afraid of the most- _hope._

This once beastly figure, who in her eyes was just a man in a metal body, was more terrified of everything than anyone could ever be of him, but worst of all he was too frightened to even let himself believe that he could live amongst humans, or leave Avonlea, or allow himself a scrap of happiness without it being ripped away. So far she knew so little about this boy that Rumplestiltskin believes to have known once and longs to find though he doubts himself... But she found she will try to do everything she can so that they will also have the chance to find him... Someday.

“You’ve gone through what you have for a reason Rumple, and it's given you a sense of empathy that no one else can ever know. You’ve helped another kid going through a dark time again, and became his friend... I don’t care what you did in the past or what you were before you became Rumplestiltskin. You deserve a second chance just as anyone else, and you deserve to do so out in that world which I’d gladly go with you to see and try to find that boy if you’d like.”

“I'll need all the help I can get dearest. I can’t seem to do anything right on my own. Unless it involves frightening people witless, then I'm pretty good at it.” The imp scoffed, sounding slightly like his trickster self once again, and Belle had to flick him in the nose to keep that self depreciation of his at bay.

“There’s nothing wrong with needing help, you’ve taught me that, and you don’t have to prove me anything. As for me...” Belle peeled her eyes away from him finally for her bravery could only go so far when it came to 'this'. “There are things I’ve been keeping from you too and things I haven’t admitted out of fear. I hope one day you’ll be the first who knows them, just as I hope you feel you can tell me what lies in your heart and past if you ever wish to. I won't reject you.”

Without warning a cold hand brushed across her cheek, bringing her gaze back to the strange face that had suddenly brought itself so close to hers. Rumplestiltskin stared straight at her with a burning intensity, and it caused the beauty's already flushed face to grow a darker shade of red.

“You don’t have to tell me anything that you aren’t comfortable with either Belle, especially if it hurts you like what happened to... Your mother. I want to know all about you though, including the beautiful and the painful things-what makes you happy and sad, but there’s nothing you have to prove to me either... I...” The machine's voice drifted off a moment and the young woman leaned a bit closer to him to try and understand just what was going on beyond the nervous look he now wore.

Rumplestiltskin sat back from her a bit, supporting himself on his own knees as he scooped up her left hand within the cup of his giant paws. A tenderness swept across his scaled visage, leaving Belle a bit breathless at the calm and serenity he's somehow collected, though his parts were ticking away loudly in his chest. But it's her heart that stopped when he brought her warming fingers up to his lips and pressed a soft kiss against her bare knuckles. His faux skin touching her was just as smooth and inviting as ever, and all the previous cravings for getting to know what they felt like pressed against her own lips returned with immediate force.

Yes, there was do denying now the effect he had on her, not after everything they'd been through.

'I can’t keep lying to myself-I know I want to kiss Rumplestiltskin. I've been wanting to all night and honestly for a long while now... I know he's a machine, and he's not physically human, but the most frightening thing is I don't even care-I like him just as he is.. Is that somehow wrong of me?' Belle squinted her darkening eyes as she finally admitted her deepening desires to herself for she was no longer able to deny the passion scorching her insides with his mouth pressed against her. 'I want to hold him, and touch him... A... And kiss him so badly, but I also want him to want to kiss me back too.'

Instead of letting all her inhibitions go and drawing that mouth of his against her own she just closed her eyes and listened to the sound of his gears and her own breathing mingle. It lasted only a few moments, this perfect sensation, before she opened them again and found Rumplestiltskin had withdrawn his lips and was looking at her under lidded slats where his eyes glowed in their pits.

“I already know you are the most incredible and beautiful human I’ve ever met, without a doubt...” His brogue like accent has somehow gotten deeper and was now a rumble against her skin that sent her thoughts whirling into even more dangerous territory. "Yet, after all the things you keep learning about me, how I frightened so many people and have hurt children and adults you say you still want to be by my side... No one ever has stayed with me like you, but I wouldn't blame you if you wanted to abandon this place one day or if you wanted to break your promise. You've done enough for me already, more than I have any right to have-"

Belle groaned aloud then and took back her hand from his so she could tap the machine with a few short pecks of her index finger right in the scaly forehead.

“Ugh, I don't know how many times I'm going to have to tell you this till you get it through that thick skull of yours! I made a promise to you Rumple as you did to me, and I... I deeply care about you wether you believe it or not. So tough luck, you're going to be mine for life-" A moment of horror dawned across Belle's features from her spluttering out her words without much thought to them, causing the hue of her cheeks to flare again. Rumplestiltskin seemed a bit shocked as well, with how his eyelids flew open, and it only made Belle feel more embarrassed in his arms. "W-What I mean is you're my friend for as long as this heart beats in my chest.”

"If I had a heart then I'd be in complete agreeance dearest-about you being my friend-not that-I would't want you for life by my side-as my dearest friend! But, hopefully this cold husk is good enough instead, as monstro-er- _strange_  as it might be..." The mechanical man stuttered right back with his pitch rising into impish territory and nervous hands kneading at her sides. The security guard was sure right then and there that if he had any blood at all his dark golden green cheeks would have been the cutest sight to see.

Instead of reaching out to touch him again in her desire to see if his cheeks did at least grow warm, for her rising heart beat and strange nervousness around him was making her contemplate things she shouldn't, she reached out and grabbed his previously damaged hand. With the screwdriver she finished twisting the bolt back into it's proper place as Rumplestiltskin watched without saying anything more. When it finally felt as if it was where it should be Belle set the tool aside and held it up so they could both see her work.

"There, you're good as new my dark sorcerer-and though you may be strange I wouldn't have you any other way." Belle grinned and her companion grinned shyly back with his toothy 'unique' smile making her heart flutter a bit more. Without a care, and feeling too lighted hearted after a night of distress, she leaned forward and pressed her lips against his wrist. In that one simple kiss she wished for nothing more than for him to find some comfort and peace, and for some good change to come find him-them in this lonely darkened place like she knew he deserved. The action lasted only a second before she had withdrawn her face and found the imp looking at her, hinged jaw agape, once more lost for any form of thought or understanding.

Then, out of the blue, the faithful clock above her desk began to chime the time, alerting both the human and machine that it was six in the morning upon the final strike.

Belle blanched a bit as reality swept back in and stole away the dream like feeling that had settled between them. Her animatronic seemed to have felt the ripple of whatever magic had been casted peel away, for he was quickly moving back as his hand slipped out from her claim on it.

"Ah-It's already time for you to leave! It seems we've gotten so caught up with everything tonight, between letters and Henry-and you've still got to be to Boston and get some shut eye too!" The lame words flew out of his mouth, but as Belle moved to stop him from pulling away Rumplestiltskin rose swiftly to his clattering feet. "Here." His hands reached back for hers and took both of them, helping her to get to her own set of boots, and she was alarmed at how jelly like her legs felt. "A clumsy knight such as yourself needs all the help you can get too." The imp snorted before darting out of her hold right after so that her hands hung limp in the air. 

However, the beauty nearly tripped when her feet got caught up in some of the strands of film littering the floor, but the sight of them helped bring her back to other important things they haven't discussed.

“Ugh, I forgot about this till just now.” Belle stated in alarm, smacking the heel of her hand into her forehead to release the building frustration. Rumplestiltskin swiveled back to her rather alarmed himself before tilting his head owlishly at her in a questioning manner. “I got all this stuff easy enough, but I'm going to have to try to find a way to get that folder back to Marco without him knowing. I don’t know how I'll do it since his cabinet looks like it's locked up on most occasions... And then there's the broken tape too.”

As her animatronic glanced to the messy folder still sitting on the couch and went about picking it up the security guard noted that he grabbed the last letter, the only letter of Mr. Getto’s they have not read, and didn't tuck it back in with the others.

“Leave that all to me, dearest-along with that tape. Mr. Getto keeps copies of all his keys somewhere since he's bad at remembering where they are, and I know where some old VHS's are kept in the back. I’ll just make one of them look like my tape and replace it for the time being.” He informed her wittily, and the logical idea eased her working nerves back down. Still, she couldn't help how her eye was drawn to the mysterious remaining letter that Rumplestiltskin was staring at so intently. It was the only piece of his past left here that hadn't been unraveled, and she was still not sure how she felt about it with the dark contents surely scrawled into it's lines.

It could solve so many questions she still had about her enigmatic companion, but she'd rather know from himself what had happened that fateful day, not through a piece of paper written by someone else.

Yet it seemed he had a different idea than her entirely.

“As for this... I know what is there in that letter, the full story of the dark day years ago must be there, and perhaps I can’t read it, but...” With a swish of his torn up arm he stretched it towards her, holding out the letter like it was a great weight that she must take in order to relieve him of its burden. “Here. If anyone deserves to know it’s you, and even if you choose not to read it I’d feel better if it was in your hands. After how you shared part of your past about-about your mother tonight... I want to give you a part of me too... I trust you dearest-I do, please don't think I don't.”

"Rumple-I couldn't... That's something that's yours and..." Belle's voice was hardly audible for this was completely unexpected, but with the way his face was pleading for her, hand nudging it towards her with tiny movements, she knew she couldn't refuse despite her ill feelings for it still. So with revere of her own she took that aged folded piece of paper from him and quickly tucked it into the pocket of her shirt pressed against her breast to remind her of the value he had freely given her. Rumplestiltskin appeared confused and awed that she had done so, and it empowered her even more as she set about resuming their night like normal, patting him on the arm and smiling at him beneath her lashes. “If I ever do read this then it'll only be when I'm with you so I won't have to do it alone and so that when I finish reading the last line I can turn to you and let you know we're still okay. That's my promise to you.”

"Thank you... Belle."

The charge building between them seemed to become too much for both human and machine, making Belle move aside and back towards her desk to start gathering her few things in an attempt cool down. There was so many thoughts running amok through her mind as she donned back on her coat and held out his back towards him, but for some reason she felt... As if things really would be okay. Even as Rumplestiltskin buttoned up his crumpled vest over his ruined shirt, and waggled his brows a bit playfully at her before slipping on his leather hided armor Belle couldn't help but feel as if something was changing-and also changing between them. Oh there were things -tiny changes in little ways over time, but now things beyond their imaginings and expectations were happening, but the hope that they would be good and what they needed...

When he grinned at her like that as she fumbled with her coat buttons once more, despite everything they'd been through, Belle felt like there was nothing that was going to stop them from finding a way to their happy endings.

In the end she she needed his assistance like last time, leaving her to tuck her lip between her teeth and watch him as his slender fingers worked far better than hers at the buttons of her coat. Yet, it seemed something still remained on his mind as he stilled at the last one near her neck, for his eyes traveled up her throat to her mouth and then her own concerned eyes.

When he began to talk he sounded a bit nervous once more, and it made her worry that perhaps he would ask for the letter back, but he didn't. “Belle-I... I have something to tell you before you go... I-I... I’ve been meaning to for a while now... I'm sorry it took me a while to come out and say it, but it's important...” 

"Rum, you know you can tell me whatever you feel the need to. I'm not going to reject you-you know that." Belle felt the need to reassure him as she tilted her head and gave him a confident nod for him to continue. Yet her heart was starting to pound again in anticipation, for he looked absolutely worried with how his eyes flickered to any where but her. Rumplestiltskin hunched his shoulders up a bit, making his coat squeak, and Belle leaned in a bit more to study the twitch forming at the corner of his mouth.

“I... I... Didn't... I didn’t forget that you... Forgot to bring your sewing kit!" He tittered straight in her face and it caused her cheeks to redden, but hardly out of any fluttering feelings so much as feeling taunted by the returning trickster. With a flourish he straightened himself back out and smirked mischievously down at her as his hands ran over his few remaining vest buttons, and it reminded her of a former promise she had completely forgotten. "You never mentioned it, but you also forget I remember everything, dearest! Talk about a let down... At this rate if I don't get a tailor or even a thread and needle I'm going to be stuck walking around here completely naked!”

“Oh-I did forget about bringing it when I said I would, but had gotten so excited tonight... Next time I swear on it, I’ll keep my promise!" Belle waved him off but the giggling animatronic wasn't letting it slide so easily.

“Good luck getting me to believe that dearest. I suppose I could make a game of it though-see how long it takes you to finally remember.”

“Hey-are you saying I won't because I forgot to bring it this one time? Just you wait I'll show you-"

"Show me what-this so far nonexistent sewing kit you claim to have? You're doing well on that so far."

"I'm going to show you my nonexistent tolerance for you too if you keep this up!"

"Sounds like a challenge indeed!"

Things were changing, outside those sturdy walls as well as within, and between the two beings ambling down the hall and bantering back and forth over sewing kits, buttons, and nights soon to be spent together tucked away within Avonlea. Belle knew that her dreaming and hoping of a brighter future wasn't something that could be promised to her like vows made between people or expected because of calculated results, but she still held on with all her heart that things could get better, for her father, Emma and Henry, this unknown boy she wants to know more about, herself, and even her Rumplestiltskin despite being the oddest of them all.

Yet, there were things she wouldn't wish for a single moment could be any different despite the heartache and pain that lead to them to be...

Belle found out, amongst the many things she has already learned tonight, that there wasn't a single thing she'd change about how she was feeling for the machine she now walked perfectly hand in hand with.

And little did she know that Rumplestiltskin felt the same exact way.


	22. Chapter 22

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Christmas and the end of the year is fast approaching, but Belle is having the hardest time trying to find a special gift for a special someone in her life. But, with Avonlea holding a Christmas party this year both she and Rumplestiltskin might find themselves realizing that they already have all they could ever ask for.
> 
> And what fun is a party without someone causing a bit of trouble?

Before anyone knew it, it was starting to look like the end of another year.

Through out neighborhoods one could see signs and strands of colored bulbs strung about the edges of houses and fences, shining bright against the darkness. Yet not a single leaf remained decorated upon the nearby trees which caused their barren limbs to stand out against the moon's pale shine. Like usual winter was starting to appear in bleak shorter days, frigid temperatures, and changes within the local places and their people. And though its seasonal festivities also brought about yearly stresses tonight none of them could pierce the brightness of the single soul wandering towards Avonlea.

The fact that she was up in the middle of a bitterly cold Monday night didn't even register with Ms. French as she trudged from her car towards the back door. There was nothing to stop her from feeling warm and light hearted as she was, even with all the heavy bags drooping from her arms. Right now the the urge to spread her good news was bubbling up inside her to the point she was about to yell it out loud in the empty parking lot-and most of Storybrooke had already heard her ramble about it all day.

But what the bundled up beauty wanted more than anything was to reveal it all to a certain special someone…

Which made Belle grumble aloud impatiently when her key couldn't quite get into the doorknob right away.

Once she finally tumbled inside the warmer hall she attempted to calm herself before locking the door up tight and setting the alarm. Her boots took slow steps towards her office in hopes not to give anything away, though she knew her rosy cheeks and never ending smile would. As she strolled Belle’s bright eyes glanced around, taking note of Avonlea's own changes that must have happened over the weekend as garlands now hung from the walls and the various ornaments dangled off of them. She could only imagine what the rest of the building looked like, especially in the daytime, but her attention averted once she neared her office.

However, when she got there she found the room was completely devoid of its usual occupant upon flicking on the light switch. There was no sign that her imp had been there despite his tendency to lurk in the dark to spook her for fun, and this was what made her wide grin falter.

"Hey Rumple? Where are you?" Belle called out while peeking her head past the doorway towards the other end of the hall, catching the sliver of light coming from the break room.

Figuring he must be there the security guard darted to the other end of the building, bags and all, unable to contain any of her giddiness this time. When she got there she quietly opened the break room door to see the animatronic inside sitting at a table faced away from her with some objects in front of himself. Belle’s curious nature flared at this, and she tried to listen to his low mumbling as his plated shoulders moved about. Her quiet peering only lasted a moment longer before his head of wiry brown-grey hair turned in her direction.

"Ah, Belle. I knew I heard you shuffling down the hall, but my hands were a little tied up at the moment..." Rumplestiltskin explained before setting down what appeared to be a spool of thread and jumping up from his seat. Belle could tell those inhuman glowing eyes of his must have taken in the amount of things hanging off of her as they swiftly pinned upon her bags. "Now if I would have known you were moving into Avonlea I would have assisted you, but you do know that you're going to have to find your own closet to live in. Mine is already cramped as it is with one occupant."

Belle rolled her eyes at him from his flourishing hands and odd tittering as she entered the room and flipped on the emergency lights. When she could see she didn't fail to notice he was wearing the dark purple shirt she'd gotten him beneath his frayed vest since his other one was unwearable from him tumbling down the riverside. Her thoughts took a sadder turn at how worse for wear he was looking since his leather pants had got torn up too and now revealed his skeletal like knee caps. At least his clothing problem was something she was going to remedy for him soon enough which made her smile secretly to herself.

"Lucky for you I'm not moving in, but I know you would've been kind enough to share your room with me if I was." The beauty informed him on a playful note as he drew nearer to her upon the 'clacking' steps of his mechanical limbs.

A smirk creased the age lines of his scaly features when he peered down at her. "Okay, so I would have shared my room with you, but only because you did a pretty good job cleaning it that one time. I've always wanted my own maid."

"You're setting some low expectations for a maid based on just that." Belle released a soft peal of laughter, earning a giggle of his own, while he began to help free her from her baggage and set it aside by the wall.

While taking off her gloves Rumplestiltskin turned from with her last bag, leaving himself rather unaware of her delightful scheming-which was a opportunity the small human took full advantage of. Without warning Belle launched forward and wrapped her arms around his shoulders, making him drop the bag full of wrapping paper on accident. Like always the animatronic flinched at her touch, but his eyes displayed only a mixture of mild confusion and happiness back at her.

"I'm hoping this hug doesn't involve you having snooped about and found any more secret folders or video tapes. We barely got away with that whole ordeal last time, but then again Mr. Getto is bad about noticing things like that..." He reminded her in his whimsical tone before nuzzling his cold nose into the top of her head, making her heart race a bit faster. However, his words brought back that night to the fore front of Belle's mind and pulled her away from the dream like sensations with him in her arms.

That shift with Henry running away from home, the letters between Mr. Getto and the strange man named ZOSO, and the unknown boy that Rumplestiltskin had remembered but had said so little about... It was still something she thought about every single day. Even two weeks later she was still consumed by the things they had uncovered, the many mysteries remaining, and the ones they had created in their search. There was something else that was revealed to her too... But it was more of the matters of her heart that she found she was still too nervous to tread upon even with all her acclaimed courage.

Yet, after all that had happened it appeared the two of them had managed to get away with hiding what had occurred. The broken tape they couldn't repair had been replaced with a fake and the 'ZOSO' folder with all but one of its pages was snuck back into its place. Henry Mills was also honoring his vow to not say a word about Rumplestiltskin which eased most of their worries away.

There was still so much more that Belle wanted to know about despite having some answers within her grasp like the last letter weighing heavily in the breast pocket of her shirt. Many of the questions she had floating through out her mind were about Rumplestiltskin himself though... In time she hoped he would explain further what was going on within him in regards to these things. It was obvious it had effected him and he needed to talk about it, yet she knew deep in her heart she could never force him if he didn't want to.

But for right now she had her own important findings to tell him, and it appeared with his curious gaze he wanted to know as well.

"No it's nothing like that at all, don't worry! Remember how I was gone that one night when my dad and I were out of town a while back?" She asked the animatronic while keeping her arms about him, and he responded by setting his fearsome hands upon her waist before nodding.

"Yes-you and your father were out of town for his medical examination and recuperation that night. Did... Did the results come back?"

"Yeah, they came back faster than we expected, but they sent a letter saying they found nothing wrong with his liver at all! No complications involving his heart at least! All this worrying I've done up till now was for nothing I guess, but I'll take a few early grey hairs any day if that means my dad isn't worse off!" Belle didn't mean to but everything gushed out of her in a wave of excitement as she beamed up at Rumplestiltskin. The mechanical man stilled upon the news in the manner only a non living thing could do, worrying the security guard only for a split second before a lopsided grin broke out over his face.

"That's-That's wonderful Belle! I'm so relieved-and happy for the both of you! I say this calls for some celebrating!" Rumplestiltskin's shouting made his electronic voice crackle, but what surprised Belle was him unexpectedly winding his arms about her waist and sweeping her straight off the floor. She gasped in his hold as a delighted bought of impish giggling spilled from his plated throat. Yet his silly noises were just too contagious, and the swaddled up woman had to laugh along with him in happiness.

Together they spun about in a circle with her smiling face pressed against the side of his as his graceful feet danced them about the tiled floor. Once again, when every room should have been still and devoid of any type of life, their mingled joy filled the empty spaces of Avonlea.

For Belle there was no denying how happy she'd been since she had read the letter after sorting her father's mail that morning and had almost attacked poor Moe French in the same manner of impulse. The heavy burden of such a frightening situation peeled away from her when she'd tossed the paper aside, leaving her as light as a feather. But even now... Belle knew it was more than just the good news and cheer of the nearing holiday making her heart soar as she clung to her one of a kind sorcerer.

The organ beating wildly within Belle didn't stop thrumming even when Rumplestiltskin whirled them about once more before placing her feet back on the ground. Much to her fluttering heart's delight his hands remained grasped on her waist, and it appeared he was refusing to retreat from her touch.

"I'm glad... That my calculations were right and that your father turned out to be okay... At least for... I mean..." Rumplestiltskin tried to explain, and Belle awaited him to go on, realizing he was more nervous than before. "I know your father is still very much sick and this doesn't change the fact he's ill... But I had been wishing for there to be nothing wrong with him involving that these last couple of weeks. If anyone in this whole world deserves some good news it's you two by far..."

'This entire time... He'd still been worrying about me and my father?' Belle thought to herself, feeling shocked that this had mattered to him far more than what she had expected.

In the many shifts they had spent huddled together the last five months Rumplestiltskin had learned a lot about her father and his condition. He'd also been there for her the last time her father had fallen ill that night she got that frightening call from the hospital, for she recalled how he had talked to her and comforted her over the phone in the wee hours of the morning during that long lonely week away. Yet, it was still so surprising even to her now... That he, an abandoned machine with so little human contact, was the one who showed more kindness and concern than the many fake smiles and hollow words she'd received from people over the years.

Her eyes softened as she gazed up at him... It was so easy to understand why she kept forgetting he wasn't human.

"You did? I didn't think you'd have remembered about that since I haven't talked about it lately. To be honest I'd been trying to avoid talking let alone thinking about it for my own sanity." Belle fumbled with her words, causing his golden green face to frown down at her.

"Of course I would, I never forget-remember? As in I remember-but you seem to always forget! Then again... It seems I'm actually not the best at remembering as of late..." His eerie laugh filtered through the air, but Rumplestiltskin drew even closer to Belle as he bore a rather maniacal smile. "I'm a hideous villain, crafted from steel to ignite fear and horror into the hearts of all, but... I would never-for even the slightest second, allow myself forget about something that important to you my dearest knight."

As if he wasn't already winning over her heart the poor thing tugged tight against Belle's ribcage in hopes to rip free and hand itself straight to him. Instead the beauty's lips gaped at him as one of her hands untwined itself behind his high collar to rest against the curve of his silicone cheek. The ridges and bumps of the scaled material pressed against Belle's finger tips while her touch caused the hinge of Rumplestiltskin's jaw to immediately release. Right back he quietly gaped at her, exposing his maw full of daggers for teeth and shock flickering across alien eyes.

In that moment Belle could only think of how easy and effortless it would be to reach across the distance and kiss him.

The feelings blossoming inside of her were too strong to be brushed into disbelief, but she didn't want to hide something so beautiful and precious involving the strange being she deeply cared for anymore. Yet, her doubts still lingered amongst her own fears that she hoped she could be brave enough to overcome. When it came to him... The possibility of feeling these things and not having them returned or wanted, maybe even rejected to the point where she lost his friendship... It made the beautiful feelings twist like a knife into her heart as they rendered such a short space between them much farther than it was.

But when he looked at her like he was now, as if she had couldn't ever be touching him with any amount of kindness or concern, she found the strength to prove them both wrong.

"There's no way you're hideous or a villain whether you're just joking or fearing you truly are. You’ve proven that time and time again to me, and I’ve always been able to see the real you." Belle whispered, wearing a gentle expression as her blue eyes peered straight into the animatronic's own amber ones. "I'll tell you over and over again if I have to-you're more caring, more kind, and more brave than you'll let yourself or anyone believe... If it means anything at all... I want you to know that you're my hero..."

 _'Do the brave thing, and bravery will follow...'_ Belle remembered the gentle voice that had told her those words long ago as she leaned closer to him.

Without warning her hand touching his face was pulled away within the gentle grasp of his cold one, keeping it it held up before them both as Rumplestiltskin stared intensely at her. Belle felt her heart escalating though she didn't pull away from him, and it seemed her mechanical man was effected too. His wide eyes darted down to her mouth as both sets of his metal fingers trembled and twitched against the soft underside of her arm and waist. But there was something there in his burning gaze that felt familiar to Belle's own... For the briefest second she swore she saw the same desire she felt for him mirrored back in the twitch of his mouth.

Then the wonderful moment disappeared just as soon as it had begun.

Rumplestiltskin turned from her in a swift whirl of parts as his clawed hands relinquished their hold on her. The abrupt act took Belle completely off guard, and she soon found her arms empty from the sudden distance he put between them with a few flighty steps. A flicker of sorrow encompassed her features at the loss of his presence, but he had already faced away from her in that amount of time, kneading his raised fingers against one another as he rattled.

"S-Such a hilarious idea-me a hero, it never gets old! There is only room for one hero here which is only you my knight! T-though it seems now that I'm going to need to remind you just what dastardly deeds this wicked sorcerer is capable of!" The tricksters facade rose high around him like a stage curtain while he continued to avoid her gaze. For Belle the theatrical act only sent a pang through her chest.

It was clear just by his reaction and need to distract her that he had been pushed past his boundaries by that moment. What it didn't change was what he had done in response to her nearness and touch as there had been more than just gratefulness in his gaze after how he had looked at her so-so... That real expression of need she'd seen on his face was tugging at her and making her wits scream in protest against the idea of chasing after him and flat out kissing him like she wanted. But the security guard, now blushing feverishly at her growing lack of self control, didn’t know what his fleeing meant...

'Did he let go because he can't allow himself to respond in kind, even if he wanted? Maybe he was just fearing me rejecting him and getting upset, or did he realize he found me... U-Undesirable that way?'

Belle hoped with the entirety of her own trembling body it was the former, though that didn't change how much both possibilities still hurt. Maybe her feelings were just impossible for him to return, or maybe... His disgust towards himself and self hatred was so great that the idea of being wanted in such a manner by anyone was more than likely impossible to him. It wasn't as if he could have ever expected to be desired in any way since he'd been treated through out his life as only a mere machine without feelings or desires of his own.

That alone made her heart hurt for the man trying even now to hide himself from her sight.

The charged and delicate atmosphere between them was her doing though, and so the blushing beauty forced herself to creep over to the table he'd been sitting at in hopes of bringing back their relaxed mood. While nervously brushing back some of her hair Belle glanced over the items spread about the tabletop's surface. He'd been quite busy before she interrupted him as she saw her sewing kit and tin of her buttons were open and strewn about. After having finally remembered to bring them a week and a half ago she’d given them to him much to his dismay in getting to tease every night she didn't. She noticed Rumplestiltskin's torn up silk shirt was also hanging over a chair and that the book on sewing she'd checked out from the library for him was lying open towards the beginning.

"After all the fuss you made about me not bringing my sewing kit now is the night you're finally using it?" Belle asked with a hint of sarcasm after a lengthy bought of silence had settled between them. Her voice seemed to be enough to thin the tension in the air as Rumplestiltskin finally turned around to face her, though he kept avoiding her direct eye contact as he rounded the other side of the table to lift up his shirt.

"L... Like you said yourself the craft is rather difficult, but I've managed to fix a bit of my shirt so far... However, my stitches look nothing like how that blasted book explained it." He grumbled, and sure enough from where Belle stood she could see the fine lines of thread he'd sewn.

She reached out to examine his work on a rip towards one of the shoulder, and ended up smiling a bit mischievously as a finger ran over the harsh stitching. Well... To be honest his stitches looked somehow more like medical sutures, but she was too proud of him to mention something that unimportant.

Belle glanced back up to him, managing to catch his anxious gaze since he was curious to her reaction.

"Your attempt is so much better than anything I could ever do Rumple. It's remarkably good for a first timer, even if it doesn’t match the book."

The lines over his brows deepened as he glowered down at his handiwork, making her fear he might rip his shirt to pieces in anger at what he believed was imperfection. In another natural impulse Belle reached her hand over and set it on his, stopping him from straining the fragile cloth and thread.

"Hey, no one starts off an expert at anything, and you'll get it right with more practice, but it seems you're turning out to be quite the man of many talents. First you'll conquer sewing and then who knows... Maybe next you'll find yourself to be an excellent chef." Her witty words gained the response she longed for as laugh escaped him, easing away the remaining tension in his face.

"I-I find that doubtful, but you've impressed me with your own feats tonight with all that stuff you lugged in here. What on earth is it all for?" Rumplestiltskin tilted his head towards the wall where her things rested, and Belle brightened up at that.

"It's just some Christmas shopping I've gotten done this week and the supplies to wrap it all up. I've been so busy with the extra hours at the college that I haven't had the time to take care of it at home." She explained while tugging at his arm to pull him away from his table. However she found her entire body jerking backwards instead, forcing her to look back to find the scaled imp planted in place and scowling. "Oh don't be that way, I know you don't care for holidays, but you said it yourself with the good news and festivities this is a time for us to be celebrating."

He huffed at her, snatching back his arm to place at his hip in irritation as he began to ramble. "I already thought Halloween was silly enough, but you humans just loose your minds over this Christmas nonsense. Once more you're stringing about fake plants for no reason, and those messy tinsel garlands that get everywhere, not to mention talking about a fictional overweight man who sneaks into your homes and delivers gifts! Don't even get me started on the horrible music..." As if the haunting melody of carols had started to play the mechanical man clamped his hands down about his head and grimaced. "If you were forced to hear those same stupid songs through out Avonlea every December for over twenty five years you'd be irritable about it too."

A hefty sigh forced its way out of Belle's throat at his dramatic response, _okay, it was a bit funny._ She had to remind herself that he'd never gotten to celebrate the holiday like human beings or ordinary people did given his unnatural state. Just like everything else her mechanical man had always been on the outside watching all the experiences everyone else had through curtains or the edge of window... Never once getting to enjoy it for himself.

There was no way she was going to allow that to continue, and her simmering determination caused her to tug at her coat buttons with a little more force than necessary.

"I know you've never gotten to celebrate the holiday properly even during your time you worked here, but that's all about to change. So you better get used to it!" The beauty's firm voice caught the animatronic’s direct attention with how his hands fell away alongside his frown. "You and me are going to have our own special version of Christmas where we'll celebrate for an entire night all on our own. Besides, I've already gotten us a tree, and though it's hardly what one would call a 'tree' since it's only four feet tall it still counts. I'll even put your presents around it when I get them wrapped up and we can open them togeth-”

**"NO!"**

Belle was the one to flinch this time at his screeching voice rang through the air.

Rumplestiltskin was fuming all of a sudden as he wagged a finger near her face rapidly, though this spark of anger wasn't directed at her. "No! No! No gifts! None! You can force me to endure everything else with this holiday season. I'll decorate your tiny fake tree and even sing those awful carols, but please don't waste your money on me like that!"

It was a frustrated sigh that escaped Belle this time as she set her puffy coat aside on a nearby chair to better face him. "Rumple... Stop. I'm not wasting anything by buying you things, and it's my money that I worked hard to earn so I can do with it as I please. Besides it's far too late to be asking me that now. I've gotten you several small gifts already, and I still plan to get you a special gift too."

The heel of his boot clicked against the tiled floor as he stomped his feet, throwing the exact opposite tantrum a five year old child would have.

"Augh! Frustrating knight of mine! You need to keep that money for yourself and your father! It's not like I have needs or want anything-I-I already have all I need right here..." His impish tone dropped much like his arm after he flourished it through the air about them, and the action made her wonder if ‘she’ was in his ‘right here’. That was pushed aside as his carefully crafted mask crumpled to the floor, and Belle's own features grew distraught to see his sadness so exposed on his artificial face. "You know it's not like I could return the favor even though I want to... I can't get you anything you want or do anything nice for you like you deserve... So... So don't waste it on me-go and spend it on the people who matter to you."

"But you do matter to me-so much! You know that I don't care if you can't get me anything, right?" Belle tried to explain as her voice cracked from emotion, but it seemed to be no use.

"It's not fair though dearest! Everyone else in your life can care for you and give you want you need except for me... So don't get me anything else for Christmas, okay? I know I can't convince you to return the things you already bought- _stubborn little creature_ , but at least let me have this... Please." With the way he was looking at her so desperately Belle knew she had to give into his plea even though she didn't want to. The young woman shook her head in resignation, though inside her heart was hurting that he felt he was so undeserving of anything when he’d given her so much.

"Okay... If that’s what you want I won't get you any more Christmas presents Rumple, I promise you that..." Belle finally replied after thinking it over a moment longer, and with her words the animatronic finally relaxed his rigid stance. Yet, a crafty plan was forming in the security guard's mind, one that was making it hard to hide the smile pushing at the corner of her mouth.

After all, he only said no more Christmas presents, but he never said anything about other types of 'gifts'.

"If that's how it's going to be then I at least demand your assistance this evening. The two of us working together would get all this wrapping done much faster, and maybe later we can work on figuring out how to fix your shirt."

His split brows furrowed down on their tracks in consideration, but he didn't seem to be refusing her request as he drew himself towards her again. The anxiousness the pair had been bearing a few minutes ago seemed to have been completely swept aside, and Belle was glad he was choosing not trying to retreat despite... Whatever was happening between them.

"Now I can't promise you I'll be of much help, but I'm curious as to these gifts for all your friends and family. Then again I can already see it! Them opening their presents in excitement only to find book after book on the various subjects they like." Rumplestiltskin teased while clapping his hands together in childlike glee.

"Come on, I'm more original than that… Okay, maybe someone one may have gotten a book or two." The beauty gave a soft laugh before turning back over towards her overflowing bags and lowering herself to the chilly floor. Rumplestiltskin on the other hand remained standing in place, looking lost as Belle peered up at him from beneath her long lashes. A knowing smile curled up on her lips, and she playfully patted the space next to her, asking of her fidgety mechanical man without any words. After a few moments of indecision his features lit up in the way she loved most before he went about taking off his coat and draping it over a chair to join her on the ground.

It was as she was retrieving a roll of wrapping paper for them to use that she recollected something else rather important to tell him. There’d been more than just one letter obtained over the weekend, and this one's recipient hadn’t received it yet as he sat down beside her.

"Oh-I almost forgot! I got something for you, and no it is not a gift from me. It's confidential information for your eyes only." Belle hinted at as she dug through the bag till she found the white envelope tucked inside and extended it out to her companion.

Rumplestiltskin didn’t hesitate to snatch at it, letting Belle sit back and watch his facial mechanics come to life as he read who it was from. "Ah-it's a letter from Henry! He actually kept to his word... I didn’t know I could like him even more than before!"

He gave a wide smiled at that before using a claw to tear off one end of the envelope and examine its contents. The security guard and animatronic sat together in silence for a minute as he read the letter over while she worked on wrapping some gifts. Belle couldn't help but peek at what he was reading, though he kept pulling the letter away in jest, for she was curious about what their friend had written too. Henry had been so eager when he’d secretly handed it over to her that past Sunday morning at Granny’s while she’d been devouring her usual breakfast.

"Hmm... I see, I wonder what that means.” Rumplestiltskin hummed at first as his eyes 'clattered' back and forth in their sockets while he read. “The boy says he’s doing well and that his classes are going fine. He’s also ready for winter break, and I can’t blame him ‘school’ has always sounded so boring! But it looks like Henry’s disappointed he won't get to come to the Christmas party Avonlea is hosting this year since he’s still grounded. Though he says he will try to stop by here sometime soon to deliver some, and I quote, ‘important goods’."

What Rumplestiltskin said went through Belle’s ears, but one thing in particular caught her attention.

"Wait-Avonlea is having a Christmas party? How come this is the first time I've heard about it?" Belle asked in concern as the imp peered at her over the crinkled paper, looking like he some what expected her reaction. However his response changed as he held her gaze and set the paper aside before leaning towards her in interest. Once again his strange ability to sense when she was distressed or sad had caught on to her, and the young woman hated to admit that he was right.

The mention of a party reminded her of another party just a while back at Avonlea-the school one that was so innocent at first. Except it was right before the event where the mysterious man in the stocking cap had snuck past these very walls and nearly…

All the carnage and horror she saw that night, despite how hard she tried to push it down in her memories, still remained. Even weeks upon weeks later she had occasional nightmares about that man who had innocently spoken to her at that party sneaking into her house and splitting open her throat like Rumplestiltskin had almost done to him. Just thinking about it-the fear and pain she had felt along with the sheer agony her companion had gone through as his programming snapped made anxiety lurch up in her chest.

Recollecting this all effected her more than she knew for her entire body stilled while her features displayed her inner panic. As if all the air in her had been sucked out she was stuck staring straight ahead as the intensity from that horrible night began to pull at her.

But the mechanical man beside her noticed right away.

Her vision was pulled from where it had planted on the little cactus guarding the window as a set of clawed fingers tilted her chin. The touch registered in her mind, and Belle felt his cold metal soothing everything going on within her with the aide of his closeness. Rumplestiltskin softly smiled at her as he eased her from the horror trying to drag her under, and Belle reached her own hand up to touch his in gratitude.

“Don't fret dearest, I'll make sure nothing happens to you... But, I find it very strange you work here and yet you find everything out through little ol' me!” He declared before she could say anything and retracted his hand to dramatically place against his chest. “Avonlea is in fact holding a formal Christmas party this year in celebration of the remodeling and I know that it's going to be this Friday at five. It sounds like there will be plenty of other adults attending too so I haven't a clue if Mr. Getto needs you to work as security or your usual shift..."

"Looks like I'll just have to give him a call in a few hours and find out, but I'll be there for sure whether I'm in my uniform or not... It's more of my kind of party then the one I went to at Halloween anyways, and if I do get to attend as a guest I’m going to invite my father along too.” Belle stated, feeling a bit more calm as she set a finished present to the side and grabbed for another unwrapped gift. “The work at his shop is a bit slower this time of year besides the usual poinsettia demand, but with his condition he hasn't been getting out and about as much. So it would be really nice and comforting if he’d come along-maybe you could even-Ah... I was almost about to say you should meet him..."

It wasn't like she could just pull her father aside, lead him to the maintenance room, and introduce Rumplestiltskin to him like any normal person. Belle had no idea how her father would handle seeing her impish companion or even upon finding out that a sentient, self thinking, scaly mechanical man existed. No, it wouldn’t be best-not yet... Protecting her loved ones mattered far more than anything else to her, and Rumplestiltskin in his entirety was one of them.

Still, it was unfortunate that she couldn't be with both of the most important people in her life.

Belle shook her head and swept aside such sorrows before returning to wrapping up the unfinished gift in green and white stripped paper. "I do hope you can meet him sometime soon, but I just don't feel confident enough to introduce you to him yet. I can't risk getting you into any trouble with him finding out or something worse, especially since you’re still living here in Avonlea.”

“That’s alright, I don’t feel quite so confident to meet anyone new for a while after what happened with Henry... Not that I wouldn't like to meet your father-I do! I-I want to know more about you as well as your friends and your family... A-All the people that you love..." Rumplestiltskin's words drifted off, and a glazed expression crossed his face, leaving him empty looking much to her dismay. However he bounced back in a snap and swiveled his head towards her, grinning in a manner that was reassuring. “At least I’ll be there with you both in spirit dearest! And no doubt ’ll be hearing all your holiday chatter the entire evening anyway, though I swear if you all start caroling I might start shrieking.”

A giggle escaped her at the imagery of him doing so, and the animatronic chuckled alongside her as he held the wrapping paper so she could tape it down. Together they kept working on her gifts as he chatted with her about the ‘obnoxious’ decorations going up around Avonlea and the various things she was prepping for her friends and family. Belle learned that the whole concept of wrapping something up only to tear it open had always befuddled the machine so she explained more about where such traditions started and he listened to her with interest. Of course he thought it all silly no matter what, but the animatronic at least cared to hear what she said with how he kept engaging her further.

It was nice getting to share even this much of the holiday with him after everything he'd shared with her in the time they'd known one another... Then again it felt like they’d known each other so much longer-like they'd always been together and always would be. More than ever she was looking forward to the many future Christmases they were going to spend side by side.

Yet, it was strange how within a few months a future without him in it seemed so bleak, and even more so for the lonely woman it was terrifying. For the longest time she'd spent her life without companionship, choosing to remain on the sidelines and watch as other people connected with an ease she couldn’t. But now the thought of going back to that life before Rumplestiltskin, before ending up at Avonlea, before moving back to Storybrooke... It was something that felt more unreal than the unbelievable situation she had fallen into.

For now no fear or worry could stop the smile that kept rising up into her cheeks, and so Belle basked in the warm feelings flooding through her veins. The only thing she wished she could do to make the evening even better was to show Rumplestiltskin how glad she was that he was at her side-even if he didn't or couldn’t feel the same as she was starting to feel for him. Surely there was something she could do-something more than just giving him simple gifts and necessities he deserved... Perhaps in time she'd come up with something, there was many more opportunities till Christmas after all.

At that moment an opportunity all its own befell her as her imp was unaware, sparking a mischievous glint across her vivid eyes. While Rumplestiltskin kept preoccupied trying to wrap up a cylinder the beauty nabbed a golden curly bow from her pile of decorations. Slowly she reached towards him, remaining cautious as not to alert him, and managed to stick it onto top of his wiry locks. His parts clacked when he glanced to her just as she withdrew her hand, pretending to be occupied with something else. When he failed to notice what she'd done Belle had to bite her lip hard to contain the laughter building up in her throat.

The pretty bow remained stuck on his person, sparkling just like his scales as he started to grumble about the wrapping paper not cooperating with his claws.

It was then that Belle knew, amidst the presents and the decorations strung about, that even if Rumplestiltskin could get her something there wasn't anything she wanted for Christmas this year.

She'd already been given the greatest gift she could ever ask for.

—————

The rest of the week passed by in a blur, and by the time Friday evening rolled around the weather was looking rather grey and dreary. All day the sky threatened the sleepy town with snow, but hours passed and not a single flake fell down from above. The young woman was grateful for that despite how much she loved the snow, putting on her work boots before getting to Avonlea just to slip out of them and into her heels would have been quite the hindrance.

Those same dainty heels clipping down the pavement were also brand new just like the sheath dress currently fitting to Belle's curves. Alongside her coat and gloves the golden material was thick enough to fight back against the bitter wind despite its shorter length. Still, the outfit for the evening hadn't been planned in her shopping spree the other day... But after she had spent the entire week visiting stores between Storybrooke to Boston in hopes of finding something special for her mechanical companion only to turn up empty handed, she at least wanted to make her efforts worthwhile. It’d been some time since she’d bought anything new like this for her wardrobe, and it felt nice to treat herself.

It was nice except her cheeks kept flaring at her mind’s insistence that she had bought the dress with someone else in mind. She knew it was true when her heart began to escalate while her thoughts wandered to what her sorcerer’s reaction would be when he saw her in it.

‘Belle you have got to stop this! It’s not that big of a deal, Rumple’s seen you out of your work uniform a couple of times before... He wouldn't even bat an eye at it I bet.' Swiftly her thoughts corrected, yet there was no denying she had went all out tonight on her appearance more so than usual. She wasn’t vain, but she wasn’t ignorant of her physical looks either (it was hard to be when that seemed to be all that some people cared about). And tonight Belle felt the prettiest she’d been in ages. Along with the clothes her natural appearance was complimented by some simple jewelry, a fabric rose clip to help pin back some of her curled locks, and finished with warm toned makeup that accented her facial features.

It was a presentation with the full intention of catching someone's eye, but Belle could only hope it would draw a pair of mechanical ones.

“Belle are you sure you’re warm enough?”

Her father’s concerned voice pulled her out of her reverie, and Belle glanced to the man taking up the crook of arm with an amused smile. He was the one who looked far more the cold with how red his nose was as the two of them walked through Avonlea's packed parking lot.

“Yes I’m fine dad, and Avonlea’s hardly that far of a walk away so my toes should remain in tact.” Belle replied as she glanced about and saw the other adults and families headed inside the building. From where the beauty stood she could already hear the clamor and life going on past the castle like walls.

Part of her was still instinctively scoping the area out of habit, but she was glad she didn't have to worry about being the security guard this evening. She’d found that out after Monday nights shift when she’d gotten a hold of Mr. Getto who apologized for forgetting about mentioning the occasion to her. Instead of asking her to work as security like she expected she found herself getting invited as a guest of honor in the festivities, though she took the offer to work her usual night shift afterwards. Shortly after finding out Belle had stopped by her father’s shop to convince him to come along, and it didn't take much of a fight to get a yes out of him.

The rest of the week had been spent in a rush of work, gift hunting, and anticipation. While Belle was still frustrated that she hadn't found Rumplestiltskin the perfect gift she was hoping she could enjoy herself for a few hours.

Yet, part of her was still a little nervous at the whole idea of being here, even with her father at her side and her sorcerer tucked away in his sanctuary. She couldn't help but think about who she met the last time she’d been to an Avonlea party... And what ultimately occurred afterwards. Not only that, but the break in was something only she and her imp knew about so she couldn't explain to anyone why she felt nervous in the first place.

A harsh chill crawled up her spine at the flood of past memories, but her sheer stubbornness kept it at bay. She wasn’t going to let herself chicken out and miss out on a good time because of what had happened with the man in the stocking cap. He had been scarred for life both physically and mentally after the encounter so if he was smart at all he'd keep far away from Avonlea and her. Belle had learned from her own mistakes too, and the logical portion of her knew there was a low probability she’d ever come across him again…

At least she hoped.

“I know I’ve more than likely already said this tonight, but you look very lovely my little Blue-Bell.” Her father spoke up again, and the young woman could almost feel the pride in his voice as he lovingly patted her arm. “You look so much like your mother did at your age... It's a shame the rest of the family can't see you.”

“You look classy yourself tonight-you even broke out that festive tie that Gram’ gave you.” Belle smirked as she held the piece of fabric pinned at the collar of his neck for a moment. It had a repeating poinsettia pattern all over it that was appropriate, but she didn't blame him for never wearing it before.

“I promise me and my tie will try to not embarrass you too much tonight. Besides I have a good feeling by this time next year you’ll have a real guy on your arm to take to the next party.” Now her father was the one looking smug, and Belle felt that her fair cheeks were becoming rosier and not because of the lashing wind. “I might not be the best at noticing everything going on, but I’ve started to see the signs. In all my years I’ve never seen you so distracted by something that's not a book, and you've been fluttering around town all week with a smile on your face.”

Belle had to conceal the embarrassment building up in her as she tugged her frustrations on the handle to one of Avonlea's massive doors. Was it becoming so obvious to everyone around her, especially her father, that she was starting to fall head over heels for someone when she was still so unsure of said feelings? It was someone, she had to remind herself, they would never in their wildest dreams expect to be the one who was winning over her heart.

In the beginning she never would have thought it possible either. Yet here she was now, dressed up and looking the most alluring she ever had in her life in hopes of attracting an animatronic man living inside the local family fun center.

Instead of admitting to some of his claims, since that would mean admitting too much more to herself, the poor woman just grumbled aloud. “Dad, I’m not seeing anyone right now, and if I was I most certainly would tell you. If you keep this up though you'll be shunned from this topic just like Ruby is.”

“At least let me meet who ever it that seems to have at least caught my daughter’s attention sometime soon. I might not be around that much longer to see my future grandchild, so I’d at least like to meet your prospective partner.” He joked, seeming to have ignored everything she just said which made Belle roll her eyes as she yanked open the large hunk of wood.

“Oh-stop that. If I ever do get married or if I find someone I want to be with...” Belle paused to swallow a lump in her throat, because all she could see in her vision was a flash of green-gold metal, warm alien eyes, and the toothy smile she adored. “Y-You’ll be around to see it.”

Before he could say anything more on the matter or before she could imagine any more alarming fantasies of her imp Belle slipped inside the entrance hall. A collision of laughter and voices filled the beauty’s ears alongside the Christmas music playing as the two French's wormed their way inside the warmer environment. Amongst the crowd she noticed quite a few familiar faces along the many she didn’t, though everyone looked to be almost as dressed up as her or in holiday attire.

As Belle tugged at her dress she noticed that from last night when she and Rumplestiltskin had strolled around that the main space had changed drastically. The conjoined rooms were now filled with beautiful poinsettias, sprinkled throughout with extra tinsel, and had been given a new level of atmosphere by the assorted paper snowflakes hanging from the ceiling on thin strings. The whole effect was beautiful and so distracting that Belle didn't notice Mr. Getto making his way towards her until his voice called out.

“Ah, Ms. French!” The beauty turned her head as she was taking off her coat, seeing her employer scoot around a young boy before reaching them. Marco himself looked like a living embodiment of the holiday with his Christmas sweater on top of a white and red plaid shirt along with a Santa hat pulled about his head. “I’m glad you could make it tonight and get to enjoy the party for yourself this time, and I’m glad to see you as well Mr. French."

"I'm glad to be here, and the place looks fantastic. I’ve never seen so many people here before." Belle spoke up so he could hear her against the crowd.

"The turn out has been great, although I’m worrying if we’ll have enough snacks and food to keep everyone taken care of." Mr. Getto informed her with a wink before turning his attention back to her father. "By the way I should thank you for those lilies your daughter brought in a while back, you didn’t have to do that.” There was a slight shine to Marco’s eyes that Belle didn’t quite recognize at first, but when she saw that same look in her father’s she realized it was an unspoken understanding on the matter.

“It was no trouble at all, you’ve been treating my Belle and our situation kindly. If you want you can return the favor with a tour, it’s been a long time since I was last here and with you rearranging everything I’m already a bit lost.” Her father replied in humor as Belle moved out of the way for Mr. Tillman and his two children rushing towards the snack and drink tables in glee.

Within minutes after having their coats taken her father and her boss were chattering away about the remodeling while Mr. Getto pointed out places where the original structure had changed and what had gone into the renovation. Belle didn’t mind getting the chance to wander off on her own and she soon left the two men to their conversation. The rest of Avonlea looked spruced up from last night too, and so she made her way through the crowd of people so her curious blue eyes could gaze about.

The entertainment area caught her interest immediately, and so the beauty moved around to get a better look of the stage which now framed with bows and garland. She almost launched up its grand steps to get a closer look at the mechanical dragon sleeping like it always did, but now with the addition of a pair of reindeer antlers and lights above its cave. A laugh that would have frightened anyone near by nearly escaped her from the thought of how likely Rumplestiltskin was going to be mortified and annoyed to see this all (and counting himself lucky he was not involved). She caught the rest of the animatronic crew was also dressed in a holiday fashion while keeping to the fairy tale theme. Behind them finishing the scene was a large Christmas tree surrounded by pretend presents, looking near magical itself by its size and amount of glittering decorations strung from its branches.

After her curiosity was sated overlooking the party and decorations Belle decided she’d find her way back to her father and Marco. Unfortunately they were not easy to find in a sea of people and children, and she soon found herself instead getting caught up in some mild chatter with Dr. Hopper and Leroy-who was grumpy like usual but remaining drink free for the evening save the punch cup in hand. It turned out that even Mary Margaret and her boyfriend David Nolan had stopped by and the three conversed over all the changes in Storybrooke she'd missed over the years. The young woman didn't back down when David casually challenged her to an arcade game only to get whooped by her in the process, causing quite the hilarious scene around the ‘Burger Time’ cabinet.

As the party continued Belle couldn't deny it was a nice to be in a big group of people, but even then all the interacting was starting to wear her down. When she found an escape route after supervising Mr. Tillman’s twins playing at the Air Hockey table she took it and nestled herself in a corner next to the stage with some snacks. Her lips remained quirked up in a wide smile as she stuck to the shadows and watched the rest of the party as it spiraled on without her. It was then the young woman knew she would be having just as much fun tonight even if she had been stuck working security in her ridiculous bow tie.

What made the whole night though was seeing her father having fun and looking like he had before his health had declined. Without a doubt she would endure anything to continue to see that.

Yet... Sadness flickered across her face as she felt that there was something still lacking through out the whole evening. Worst was she knew exactly how the gapping hole in her heart could be filled- _who_ could fill it.

A soft exhale fell past her painted lips, and Belle brushed her fingers against the curve of her wrist where she remembered Rumplestiltskin's trembling touch. Longing for him settled into the hollow of her chest, but she tried to remain content while watching everyone else enjoy the party without a care. However it became harder to keep her smile up the longer she watched, for she wanted nothing more than to do the things everyone else was but with... _Him._ The the two of them should be also dancing about to the joyous music, chatting with her father, and entertaining the children running around that she knew would love her whimsical friend if given the chance.

It was so silly to her that even now she still missed him when he was only a room away, but she knew what they both longed for couldn’t be. Belle wasn’t naive enough to expect him to ever be accepted by everyone with open arms or to be able to go to a party like this and handle it well... The truth was he’d live the rest of his life if he were to join humanity being looked upon in fear or repulsion solely because of his mechanical body and inhuman qualities.

‘Even if the world will never accept him it wouldn’t matter so long as he has people that do like me and Henry. I could never allow him go back to being alone or thinking he could never be with humans because of what he is or what he accidentally did decades ago.' Belle promised herself as she curled her fingers tight around the hem of her dress. ‘He deserves to be with me, much more than that he deserves to be happy, and I’m going to make sure he is...’

Determination settled through out her chest as her fingers released the fabric bunching up under their grip. Deep down she understood that she wanted to spend the rest of her life happily beside Rumplestiltskin wether they were just friends or something more. It was a desire that had never happen to her before in the few short relationships she had. A broken smile grew on her lips as she allowed herself to hope for the day she would get to wake up to see him every morning in their future home, to show him the world he’d been longed denied, to help get him repaired...

How she wanted to see him without fear standing in the sunlight he hadn't seen most of his life, and then for him to be wrapped up in her arms every night before she slept.

Belle’s heart fluttered at all of this before twisting in a painful way that was far more pleasurable than it should have been. A blush seeped into her cheeks as she chided herself for getting so caught up inside her head and her longings. After all she might want him to be with him and felt more for him than just the boundaries of friendship, but that didn’t mean he was ‘hers’. Someday he might change his mind about her taking him away one day to live with her, and instead he might want to leave on his own or go with someone else. Despite having been created with another purpose in mind his fate was his to decide-it wasn’t Mr. Getto’s, this unknown ZOSO’s, or even hers to control…

If he left... It would hurt her horribly. She'd feel as if she lost part of herself with him gone, but Belle knew despite her own terrible loneliness she would let him go if it would make him happy. If they did part ways she hoped that she'd find the bravery to at least let him know... That she was glad they had met-and... And that she...

_'I can tell by the way he talks about you that he loves you just as much as **you love him.** '_

Belle felt herself take a sharp intake of breath as Henry's words from that unforgettable night echoed in her mind.

Suddenly she found herself beyond parched even though the cookie she'd hardly nibbled on laid on its napkin neglected, but she quickly blamed it from all the talking she’d done. Brushing off any possible crumbs on her gold dress the startled beauty stood up and moved to make a beeline for the punch table. Dangerous thoughts were already swirling in her mind, but a few steps in her eyes fell upon someone she hadn’t noticed before standing near the front of the stage by himself.

Whomever it was must not have seen her nestled into her corner for he was facing the grand wooden platform as he stared up at the set of animatronic figures all tilted forward in their deactivated positions. The man wasn’t someone Belle recognized from this angle, but she could make out he had shorter black hair and was dressed all in black from his coat, jeans, boots, to the dark leather gloves still pulled about his hands.

It was odd that he was still wearing gloves inside, but it was what those hands were doing that captured her absolute interest. As if trying to be discreet his right hand pulled something out from within his coat that Belle couldn’t identify till he was jerking his head back, tilting to his lips what now looked to be a metal flask. The shocked security guard silently watched him tuck his the flask back under the other crook of his arm and continue to stare up at the stage. By the time she realized that he was in fact swaying on his feet he had pulled his flask back out for another drink.

‘No one is supposed to bring alcoholic drinks into Avonlea-and I doubt that’s the punch in there.' Belle realized with a quick furrow of her brows as she stared to prickle with irritation at the man’s lack of respect for the people around and Avonlea. She wasn’t alone in feeling that way either for her eyes flickered about and saw that some other adults had noticed the stranger acting odd amongst the scenery he wasn’t doing well blending into. Worry began to build inside her tiny frame, and Belle forfeited her previous plan as her heels turned and began to carry her closer to the man.

Within a few feet of him the harsh but all to familiar burning smell, for part of Belle’s youth had been spent hating that scent as it clung to her father night after night, rose up and assaulted her nose. Whomever this was had to be plastered if he reeked that bad of rum from a safe distance. It was even more obvious he was when he didn’t even notice her approach or hear the pitter patter of her steps.

“Hey, excuse me.” Belle called out, and she had to do so three times before his head whipped around to face her. The face she was met with was hardly the face of someone she’d expect to be three sheets to the wind. In fact he was what society would call attractive with his rugged features, grey-blue eyes-though clearly glazed over, and overall ‘bad boy’ flair he bore. It did nothing to change Belle’s opinion, all she was concerned about was why this man was here drinking in a place full of impressionable children, and why….

He had been glaring so hard at the stage she thought it might catch on fire from the hate burning there in his gaze.

“I’m sorry, but I need to let you know that this party is alcohol free, and you’re making some of the parents here nervous. Also if you’re wondering how I know it’s because I can smell that rum on you from a yard away.” Belle stated in a clear but forceful voice, keeping her arms crossed as she stared at him.

“Oh-I didn’t know that. My mistake, I just hope none of the kiddies get into the punch then.” The man spoke in a slurred voice, hinted by an irish accent, before giving what was supposed to be a handsome grin full of pearly white teeth. Except to Belle it was more of a sickly looking smile than anything charming.

It took a moment before what he said dawned on the young woman, and she visibly flinched back from him in horror. Did that mean- _had he somehow spiked the punch!_ There were so many people drinking it, especially innocent children, that the mere thought alone of him doing something so awful made her cheeks darken in anger and her hands clench into fists at her side.

Despite how drunk he was the man noticed the change in her stance, and he sloppily held up both of his hands before giving a heartless laugh. “That was a joke… You know people will find you much more... _Attractive_ if you have a sense of humor.”

Belle scowled at that, and though he had admitted he was just fooling around his voice had taken on a rather lecherous tone that she didn't like at all. In fact this stranger was looking her up and down now, ghosting her over with his cold eyes and lingering far too long on her chest for comfort. The anger bubbling inside her flared at his response-she was only seeking the approval of one person tonight who'd never look at her in such a horrid manner.

“Look, I hate to be the one to break it to you, but you’re going to have to leave sir. You’ve clearly had too much to drink, and I’d rather not chance something bad happening while you’re here.” Belle stated in a far firmer voice than before as a few more people began to glance in their direction with weary expressions. Her words managed to peel his eyes away from traveling down the curve of her legs, but Belle felt fear rise up as his grin fell away.

“And who are you to be com-men… Commanding me and telling me what to do? It's not like you work here-can't be when you're dressed like you’re asking for somethin’...” When the dark haired man spoke he almost spat at her as if she was the one with the ruining the mood of the party as well as his buzz.

Her pride and dignity had her mouth spouting back a response before she could reign it in. “Actually as a matter of fact I do work here. I’m the security guard, and though I’m not on duty I’m still an Avonlea employee that can inform you of our policies.”

If anything the mans face faltered a moment, looking a tad lost-confused even, but then he was grinning again as if he found the entire situation amusing. Another snicker escaped him, and he was close enough that the puff of his breath brushed her face, making her features crinkle at the pure smell of rum.

“Ah, you... You’re the security guard? You’ve got to be kidding me… After all these years the old man decides to get one-of course, he would after having invested so much into this cheap dump.” The stranger sneered the last part, and his cold appraisal of Avonlea was making Belle fight the urge to deck him across the face. However that rage flipped into nauseousness when his cruel eyes darted right back to hers, glinting with a wickedness much like his twisted smile. “Such a waste though, having such a pretty face stuck working here when you could be doing much more… _Pleasurable_ things elsewhere.”

Belle had to take a step back from him then, for he was starting to lean far too close to her person. Then a terrified gasp left her mouth as his left hand tried to sneak around her waist, making Belle slap his arm away without hesitation though the man's features remained far too calm.

“If you think this is funny stop! Because I’m not joking around, and I’ll kindly appreciate it if you keep your gross remarks to yourself!" Belle snapped right back-she wasn't going to allow this to continue for her sake and for the worried looking parents watching from the side lines. “Now I’ll ask only one more time, please leave. Even if I’m only the night guard I happen to be good friends with both the sheriff and the town deputy, and they’re just a phone call away from dealing with you themselves.”

Pushing her point she pulled her cellphone out of her purse, and presented him his two options to choose from. Her threat seemed to alter the control he felt he had for he finally stopped and looked around, noticing the amount of people watching their clash. Silence stretched between the two of them as neither backed down, but then after a few moments the dark haired man shrugged his shoulders.

“I can tell when I’m not wanted anymore... And I've seen enough here anyways.”

The stranger began to move past her, tucking both of his hands into the pockets of his leather coat and taking sloppy strides, near teetering over at some points. Belle kept planted in place though with a frown plastered on her features as she focused on watching the man making his way past the crowd. Despite having managed to avoid a conflict or getting the police involved somehow she knew that something wasn’t right... Like there was more going on than what she was seeing with her own two eyes, even if she didn’t know what it was.

And that instinct in her gut was right, for the man stopped midway as people parted around him before he called back to her over his shoulder.

“Take care night guard! And a word of advice, keep on your toes... You never know what kind of things might be lurking around.”

Then in seconds he disappeared from her sight.

The young woman turned and kept her blue eyes glued on the front doors while the crowd nearby began chattering loudly again. Relief flooded over her though when she saw them swing open as the stranger staggered out and then slam shut, signaling that he'd actually left. Those who had been watching from before turned back to their conversations now having something of interest to gossip about for the evening, but Belle didn't say a word further. Her fear was subsiding along with her wild heart beat, but even if she looked fine on the outside what had happened had shaken her. It reminded her all too much of what had happened months ago, and she began to make her way to the punch table so she could calm her ragged nerves with a drink.

After downing an entire cup and a half of punch Belle quietly sighed while trying to calm herself. It was hard to do so with how dirty her skin felt from the strangers gaze as it had traveled over her body. The fine hairs on her bare arm prickled while she rubbed at them, but it did little to ease away the tension.

The party going on around her continued on like normal, as if no one had seen the unwelcome stranger or the confrontation between them. Yet Belle couldn't quite rejoin them in their happiness, for she couldn't escape the feeling that something horrible was going to befall her at any given second. The thought of going to Rumplestiltskin's tiny room and seeking the comfort he brought her sounded like a good idea to her, but her father soon found her by the snacks attempting to swallow down a cupcake. Without giving away what had happened she allowed him to tug her along and pull her into a conversation with an old acquaintance of his and the man's son. The beauty pushed back some of wayward curls over her shoulders as she jointed them, hoping the pleasant face she wore wouldn't give anything away.

Her thoughts remained torn even as the fun activities began, and though her father was by her side and the amount of people surrounding her almost enough to keep her distracted one question remained nagging in the back of her mind.

'How did that man know I work the night shift?'

—————

He knew he shouldn’t be doing this, but it seemed there was now way he could stop himself.

This year he had already risked his life once out of the sake of satisfying his curiosity, which was worrisome enough... But Rumplestiltskin didn't fail to find the irony that he was contemplating doing so again from interest towards the same exact person.

However, this time he was only contemplating doing so because of his promise to watch over his honorable knight and to make sure she was safe. At least that was what the animatronic kept telling himself as he tried to fight off the overwhelming urges welling up within him. From where he sat in his tiny tomb his auditory sensors heard everything going on beyond the walls, and by the many loud sounds he could tell the humans were having a blast at their party. Yet, that meant little next to nothing to him for all he longed to hear was one wondrous laugh rise up and gift him with its ring. After he had endured his dearest’s constant commenting about this party all week he wanted nothing more than to see for himself her light's brilliance filling up Avonlea and to be beside her as her adorable giggling overtook her.

Rumplestiltskin grumbled to himself as his frustration started to rise, because he knew that what he wanted he could not have. The scaly machine scowled in the darkness and tried to block out the sounds tormenting him by clamping his large hands over the sides of his head. When that was not enough he took up trying to keep himself occupied in any way he could. He began talking to himself, attempted to sew back a button on his vest, and even tried ignoring the sounds by reading the tale of the velveteen rabbit from his ruined book despite having memorized it.

Nothing worked, and soon the imp's body became unable to reject the demands his programing was making as it overtook his systems. The need to see Belle and make she she was alright forced him up from the concrete floor to his shabby boots with every intention of shambling out of his hideaway. His warnings for preservation began to flair up as his mechanical limbs propelled him past the metal panel, wall of pipes, and to the maintenance room door. There it stood before him as the last line of defense against his sudden lack of reasoning while his fears began to rise in hopes to impede him.

‘This is a mistake-stop this-someone might be in the hallway right this very second! You don’t know what's going on out there! Stop! Stop! If they see you they will scream-they'll run in fear from you, and there won't be any going back! You'll get scrapped and torn apart if the humans find you-not even Belle can protect you from that! **You could get hurt her if that happens!** ’

Rumplestiltskin flinched at the final warning that breached the inside of his metal skull but finally managed to halt his actions as his clawed fingertips ghosted over the door knob. It-he was right… He couldn’t do this no matter how much he wanted, for his sake and Belle’s. With a click of his mechanics his features furrowed into a frown at how irrational he had become. Belle would think him foolish to be doing this-it was not worth the risk even if he wanted to see her while she was amongst those whom she belonged with. Slowly his monstrous hand retracted from the knob as he began to kneed his fingers from his anxiety squirming inside his cords.

Of course just as he was turning to retreat back into his hole... _He heard it._

Through the air, crystal clear to his keen sense, was a faint reverberation of her accented voice, the one he loved so much. Rumplestiltskin's inhuman eyes flew wide open as the joyous sound started sparking in him once more the urgency he had felt consuming him.

It took him a bit more bravery- _more like idiocy,_ than he realized, but the door gave a soft click before it creaked open and his frightening face peered out into the hallway.  His glowing eyes tore through the darkness of the back halls but he quickly relaxed upon finding the surrounding area devoid of any life. With care the animatronic closed the door after himself as he left and with practiced steps walked noiselessly despite his leather through the corridor to the bend that lead to the kitchen. So far no one seemed to be going into the back of the building which made sense since the party was only taking place in the front, yet he remained on full alert. He had too many close calls over the years in previous attempts to take a sneak peek into an open hours Avonlea to ever react otherwise.

When he reached the kitchen's back door his body seemed to be able to resist the siren’s call as what he was doing dawned on him. He planted his feet down and caught the reflection of his amber eyes in the circular window peering back against the pitch black of the room ahead. As he stared at the obvious fear carving its way into his silicone face he knew it wasn't too late for him to turn back around... But he'd come so far, and the imp reminded himself with as much courage as he could muster that he needed to make sure Belle was fine or else his worry for her would eat away at him.

After his eyes flickered off, shifting into night mode, he slunk through the double doors into the empty kitchen. Carefully taking his time the imp crouched behind the set of island counters while moving forward bit by bit. When it appeared no one would come barging in anytime soon for extra utensils or the sort he kept hunched and darted right next to the set of kitchen doors leading to the rest of the building. The light and sounds from beyond slipped in past the glass and crevices, sending his gears spinning out of control from how close he was to so many humans.

It took him a few seconds like last time to gain the courage to peer over the edge of wood and past the pane. When he did he kept his head as low as he could, but his curious gaze was soon flickering about as he took in everything going on in the dinning room and entertainment area.

There was too much movement for him to follow at first-too many faces and distracting garb, and much too many human beings shouting, talking, and running about. It'd been so long since he'd seen this many people or this many adults gathered here, and the last time he'd seen this many was a horrible recollection he had to manually force down in his data banks. Sheer panic began to surge through his wires the longer he watched, and threatened to send his system on the verge of a fit.

'No-I was wrong to do this-I need to go back to my hideaway!' He barely managed to stop himself from croaking out those words as his husk began to tremble. 'I don't belong even this close to them! What am I doing-too many-too many f-fa-faces-too many-too many!' The imp readied himself to peel away from the doors and dash back down the hall into the maintenance room so he could cower in his pitiful corner.

Then... He saw her.

There was no mistaking that head full of beautiful auburn curls, though they were partly pinned up and partly spilling down creamy flesh instead of a white button up shirt. The rest of her body was wrapped into a dress that looked like the shimmering gold he used to pretend to spin from his wheel during his old shows, and it displayed her limbs and form more so than her work uniform ever could. As she made her way through the crowd he saw those pair of crystal blue eyes shinning like jewels and crinkling when her rosy lips opened to let out a laugh. And that sound... That wondrous sound bubbled out of her so strong and powerful from someone so usually quiet and reserved that rest of the building faded into silence around him.

Watching her from his window the mechanical man could see the light that poured from her and shone through her skin. In that instant he swore he didn't ever need to leave Avonlea in order to see the sun for she was brighter than any clear sunny day could ever be.

Belle was...  In all his years he'd never seen-never imagined something so... Utterly... Captivating and-and-

_Gods, body and soul she was beautiful._

A strange sensation shot through his limbs and made his servo's lock up, paralyzing him to the spot as he stared at his beauty. It felt as if he couldn't speak even if he were to try, and that his body hummed with an energy completely foreign to his operating system. Inside of him his wires were squirming and it took him a moment to understand why, but when he did it made him grasp at his coat lapels from the intensity of it.

He was longing for her- _he was actually physically longing for her._

Oh, he knew he wanted her companionship, her heart, and her mind, but now he couldn't deny that somehow even his body wanted her own. Roaring within him was the desire to press his ugly green-gold metal against her and sense how pliable that sensitive flawless flesh must be to pressure of his touch. He wanted those lush locks of hair within reaching distance so he could wrap it around his digits while she lay tucked against him, molded to his form as he held her close. And those lips he wanted most of all! A need in him to press them against his own and incite the incredible sensation her first kiss had brought-to hear her whisper his name in want, made him softly cry out her name.

“ _Belle_... Oh Belle, I'm so sorry... Look at me, I'm so disgusting. She would be horrified to know I w-wanted her and was lusting after her-I mean it shouldn't even be possible." Rumplestiltskin whimpered before clenching his blackened teeth tightly together from the straining tension in his parts. "But I don’t know what to do, or how to stop myself from feeling this way for her... I-I can't help but want her by my side as my own... Even if all of what I feel is not real I-I… I want to love her-”

A sudden bout of laughter roared from the main room, breaking his unblinking stare upon the unknowing woman and forcing him to recoil back into the darkness. His survival instincts kicked in, making him look to the pantry door where he recalled the cupboard within that was always empty and was somewhere he could curl up into just incase. Yet, even with fear begging him to go and hide he didn't scurry off. Instead he waited before peering back through the kitchen window to see just what it was that had so many of those foreign faces emitting such a hearty sound.

His eyes fell upon two people standing beneath a part of arching wall towards the dinning area, and around them had gathered a group, though he didn't know why. Then it appeared the two stuck as the center of attention, a shorter man he'd never seen before with a beard and bald head along with a slightly taller woman with an angular face and brown hair in a bun on the top of her head, nervously moved closer to one another at the people's insistence.

The animatronic realized then that there was something hanging above them, and after his eyes refocused upon it he found the object was only some white berries and their leaves tied together on a string. It seemed to mean something more for the two humans glancing at one another finally turned and then in a swift move the short man held the woman’s hand as he pressed his lips against her cheek. In awe and curiosity Rumplestiltskin watched as the humans cheered while the pair quickly darted off in a fluster. It didn't make a lick of sense what he had seen, and he kept watching to understand better as another couple, a dark short haired woman and a tall blonde haired man, pulled each other underneath the plant.

They kissed as well, except their kiss was hardly as mild nor timid. Rumplestiltskin felt a bit embarrassed himself as he watched both their mouths collided while they tilted their heads, deepening their kiss in obvious passion. Seeing humans kissing wasn't something new for him and he had read about it from some romance novels he'd prefer to forget, but never had he known it could be quite like _this_...

During all of this he glanced to Belle and saw her standing nearby and smiling, seeming to be pleased with this strange event too. His attention shifted when the tall man withdrew from his mate and looked about the crowd proudly, tugging the happy looking woman closer to him whose snow white complexion was scarlet.

"T-These human holidays make no sense... Berries you have to kiss under-how ridiculous!" Rumplestiltskin whispered to himself, but when he thought he'd seen enough he froze as he saw his darling knight pull someone under the hanging bundle of plant material. It was an older man like Marco, though heftier and without much hair on his head, but his appearance brought forth pieced together information he had collected over time from Belle. This man fit the description of her father, and with the way the young woman leaned in and pecked the man's cheek innocently he knew without a doubt that was Moe French.

A soft smile stole across his hinged jaw at the sight, for at least part of Belle’s wish she had made had come true in a way... He might not be meeting Mr. French face to face, but now Rumplestiltskin knew what the most important person in his knight’s life looked like. And he could see they were both happy as the older man began to laugh along with her and everyone else... Through out it all Belle didn't appear distressed nor was in any obvious danger, and it made the machine scold himself for feeling this unnecessary need in him to watch over her.

Once again... She didn't need him. He knew he was just trying to give himself some excuse to find a place by her side.

"But what place do I have in her life? Look at me... We're in the same building-just a damn room apart, and yet I can't even be there with her." He sarcastically remarked to himself, but his comment hurt far worse than he intended it to, making his brows droop on their tracks. Desperately he wanted to be standing right next to her, taking up the crook of her arm as they enjoyed themselves-or at least as she enjoyed herself. What he'd give to have that radiant smile and set of gorgeous eyes casted his way as he took her hand and danced with her, the two of them putting every other couple to shame. Perhaps, she'd be kind enough to entertain his silly whims and allow him to experience other Christmas things like the tradition he just saw...

His plated throat bobbed from the parts inside grinding against one another at the imagery that began to flood his skull.

What would happen if the two of them were to end up standing under that same bunch of leaves and berries? Would she wring her hands in silent horror before quickly pecking his cheek in embarrassment? No, she wouldn't do that-she's already kissed him a few times before, and his courageous knight had always lacked any hesitation or disgust towards him that way. Even if he couldn't understand how she could stand to do so...

Yet, what would happen if he were to hold her close and gently cup her face as he leaned in to kiss her? Would she recoil as he drew his horrid face and mouth full of terrible teeth closer to her own, one so beautiful and perfect that shouldn't be so close to something so vile and ugly?

Without a doubt she would end up repulsed if he actually tried... That realization made him physically grimace at the phantom pain shooting through his code. Even then Belle would at least be kind enough to explain that she didn't want that from something like him, and that she was sorry that she could never feel for him in the way he did for her. Perhaps if he were to try to kiss her he could endanger their entire friendship! That fear alone made the scaly machine swear where he stood that he himself would never kiss her like that.

'That's only for lovers anyways, and there's no way Belle would ever consider me anything close to that. She was probably thinking about some man she actually wants to kiss while she watched...' He thought, feeling a grimy sensation rise up in his ports as his cords writhed inside his metal shell. The image of another man leaning in and pressing his human, living, _real_ lips against hers, and Belle passionately kissing him back made the imp want to screech in agony more so than any repetitive carol he'd ever heard.

Instead Rumplestiltskin groaned as he closed his eyes before leaning his forehead against the door. There he listened to the sounds of life echoing outside the kitchen while his body 'clicked' and 'clacked' in robotic rhythm.

Never would he would have seen this coming months ago... Him pathetically craving to be wanted by such an amazing human with the full knowledge that she would never come to love him.

He really was hopeless.

After lingering a while more in his despair he lifted up his head, though his features were lined with sadness behind his crumpled locks of hair. It was best now for him to head back to his room since he'd made sure Belle was alright. If he saw her again he wasn't sure if he could pull himself away or stop himself from walking straight out those doors and running off with her.

Just as he was about to move a shadow abruptly crossed over the door's window and frightened him, sending the monstrous machine sprawling back on his rear end. Someone was approaching the kitchen as the shadow loomed closer, and he understood they would catch him if he didn't do something fast. The animatronic's mouth fell wide open but he wasted no time in scrambling to his knees and clawing his way in the direction of the pantry. Flinging the door open he slipped through to be consumed by darkness as he then forced the door to softly close behind him. When the knob clicked he heard the double doors burst open, and his entire husk stilled-even his gears and parts halted to completely silence him.

Whoever it was in the kitchen took their time as they dug around in the drawers and cabinets, and so Rumplestiltskin's eyes flickered back on to peel away the shadows. Their glow revealed the cupboard at the back of the room, and he crawled over to it on his knees, yanking the door open and finding it bare like it always was. It was horribly embarrassing that he actually had to do this, but pride didn't matter when it came to living to see another night, and so he curled himself up inside and slid the door closed. Tucked up to his knees he waited and listened further as the kitchen became busy with the sound of humans squabbling over getting extra food, leaving him stuck where he was for god knows how long.

In the even tinnier tighter space he was left to his previous thoughts while also cursing himself for his foolishness. If someone were to come in and start looking around for whatever they were looking for he could be easily found and then... It-It would all be over. All of this-his poor attempt at a life, trying to protect Belle-it would have been pointless. Well... At least he would have the memory of seeing Belle looking as beautiful and remarkable as she was out there as he met his end. Though the rest of his life had been a miserable wretched affair he would have their memories to enjoy before he was torn apart and rendered an immobile pile of scraps...

The dark imaginings running through his head started taking a toll on his programming, and so Rumplestiltskin pressed his face against his legs. Thoughts of his security guard swarmed through his head, and he allowed himself to bask in them as they calmed the anxiety threatening to split him at his welded seams. Yes, the thought of getting to see Belle after the party would help him get through this-he could already see her excited face talking to him about how it went and about how much fun she had as he endured whatever Christmas nonsense she had set for him. Perhaps if he couldn’t kiss her he'd inquire her to explain about the berries and its tradition in further detail, and he'd get to see her eyes light up as she chattered the night away with him.

'I've been through far worse-I'll see Belle again-I won't be found...' He kept telling himself as he tightened his hold around his trembling legs.

There in the tiny cupboard he remained for hours, loosing himself in thoughts of white berries, his darling knight, and her beautiful lips.

—————

It was a little past ten when Rumplestiltskin was sure that Avonlea had been completely abandoned.

Still, his scare from earlier made him take his sweet time before he opened the cupboard door and practically spilled out of it. As he staggered to his feet a grumble slipped past his lips from feeling how stressed his servos were after being cramped up like that. Then again he knew he should be counting himself lucky that was the worst he had to endure.

For twenty minutes straight he hadn't heard a footstep nor voice break the silence, and so without worry he pushed past the pantry door and wandered through the kitchen. A disgruntled frown settled upon his features when he peered out one of the double door's windows, noticing that the pickup crew had done a poor job as there was still a slight mess through out the dinning area. Rumplestiltskin brushed through the doors and mumbled irritably to himself before bending down and pinching a crumpled cupcake wrapper between his segmented fingers.

“Of course, when all those people got free food and a good time they head for the hills after trashing the place... The morning crew will have a heyday if they see this.” He said in a nasally tone as he threw the trash into the nearest bin with a sneer curling up the side of his mouth. Still, cleaning up helped ease the tension from his joints and aided his mind in unwinding from the stressful few hours he just had. When it looked like everything was back to its proper appearance the imp began to gawk about as he took in all the extravagant decorating he hadn't been able to see during the party. It was over the top in his opinion (the poor mechanical dragon looked so disgraceful), but he knew Belle would be clamoring about how amazing it all was when she’d arrive a couple of hours later.

Despite how he felt about it all he found he was instinctively drawn to one decoration in particular... As if on auto pilot the animatronic walked over to the dinning area so he could inspect the bundle of berries hanging from the celling a bit closer. Standing beneath it himself Rumplestiltskin felt the temptation to reach up and pluck it from its string fill him for some unexplainable reason. Perhaps it was just the hoarding part of his nature, but whatever it was he was sure no one would be bothered if they were to find the decoration missing tomorrow morning. His dark clawed fingers were just about to do just that when a voice shattered the stillness settled through out the empty building.

"Rumplestiltskin!"

Instantly the machine recognized that light accented voice but it had alarmed him enough that he had almost jumped into the air before whirling towards her. From the other set of double doors beyond the stage he could see his security guard racing towards him, setting a quick pace through the entertainment area even though she was still wearing those thin heels.

‘Belle's here way earlier than she has to be-wait! Why is she still dressed up!' Rumplestiltskin exclaimed in a flurry within his head. Upon the realization his body stiffened even further while he watched Belle in all her beauty approach him. Seeing her gorgeous appearance up even closer struck him to the core and left his hinged jaw gaping wide open, leaving him to look like the mindless machine he was. It didn't help that her cheeks were red from being outside and that he could see in greater detail her bare pieces of skin not covered in that glimmering dress.

“There you are! I looked everywhere in the back for you but I should have known you’d be out here after everyone had left for the night.” Belle stated as if she was worried over him, but she was still bearing a rather playful smile. The sight of those beautiful lips quirked up like that had his cords thrashing so hard inside of him it felt as if they were trying to escape the hatch at the nape of his neck. Yet, his stunned silence didn’t go unnoticed as Belle was soon looking up at him in concern. “Is there something wrong? I didn’t mean to frighten you just then but I told you I was coming back to work my shift. And if there’s one thing I remember is that you never forget.”

“Yes-of course, you didn’t... I... I was just...” The clever imp was left speechless as the young woman blinked at him in curiosity, and oh-how attractive her face was when she became intrigued by anything! As if having a mind of their own his hands flew about while his vocal box blurted out whatever his system could manage to scrape together. “I was just nosing about out here from you humans and the mess you all made! But more importantly why are you back so early? You said you didn’t have to work till twelve.”

Pointing out the flaw to her thinking Belle’s features fell further, making part of himself regret asking and part of him needing to know why she seemed so down trodden. Without hesitation he took a step closer to her, thinning the distance between them. His mind was no longer enamored with the thought of acquiring the strange berries but only of the beauty standing before him.

"I know, but the moment I went to my apartment after dropping off my father I... I didn’t feel alright. I’m not sick or anything, I just didn’t feel comfortable being by myself." It was Rumplestiltskin’s turn to tilt his head and blink his eyes owlishly in confusion, after all she had appeared to have been fine when he watched her... Unless his instincts were right and something had happened! "I didn’t want to tell you this because I didn’t think it was that big of a deal... There was this drunk guy in here tonight during the party, and I tried to get him to leave before he could do something or someone got hurt, but as he left he said something rather creepy to me. I thought I was okay, but even when he was gone I couldn't stop thinking about what happened months ago with that break in..."

The imp reached out his segmented hands and gently placed them on her shoulders while he looked her over. A span of silence fell between them as he roamed his mechanical eyes over her flesh to make sure there wasn’t a single scratch on her.

"Are you alright? He didn't do anything to you or hurt you did he? I swear if he did I’ll find him and I’ll make him sorry he ever even looked at you-”

"No! I will admit he tried to touch me once but that was it. ‘Tried’ being the key word here." Belle replied in a calm manner, but it wasn’t enough to ease the sparks burning inside of him at the thought of someone breaking her personal boundaries. Of course his security guard knew his temper was rising as she watched him, and he froze again when both of her hands settled themselves against his chest. "Hey, I'm alright. Nothing bad happened to me at the party, I just really didn't want to be alone afterwards, and I knew you would put up with my company for a little while longer than normal."

Rumplestiltskin released his hands on her when she spoke, fearing the possibility of his touch making her even more uncomfortable than she felt. She had to be feeling pretty frightened if she was seeking his company and Avonlea so early, and so the machine donned his impish mask in hopes to distract her from her worries.

"Of course I don’t mind in the slightest, dearest! Though if you feel that strongly then perhaps you should reconsider the idea of moving in here." A titter escaped him as she peered up in confusion this time. “It’d save you the trouble of driving over to work, you could eat pizza day in and day out, and besides, I don’t think Mr. Getto would mind... At least not that much.”

It flickered across her face, a small but real smile at the nonsensical idea, and he couldn’t help but give her one in return.

“If this place had a shower and proper utilities I'd be far more interested, but I’m afraid I’d still have to pass. Even though living with you is one of my goals I’d prefer us having our own place, just the two of us.” Belle smirked up at him, looking near mischievous with the glint in her blue eyes as she took her another step closer to him. Rumplestiltskin felt flabbergasted at her forwardness, but he felt it even more when he took in the sight of her and her nearing closeness that was near about to cause him to short circuit. Beside him his hands rattled unbeknownst to the beauty as he fought off the urge to settle them at her waist and sense the pressure of her body against his metal shell.

His horror only grew, for Belle must have noticed his eyes darting over her as she suddenly took a few steps back from him as if to distance them once more. Yet, she didn’t look alarmed or disgusted like he was fearing her to be. Instead she combed at her auburn locks spilled over her shoulders, appearing almost nervous before she glanced back up at him.

“I know, I still need to go change into my work uniform, this and these heels are hardly efficient for getting around in... But how do you like it?” There was genuine intrigue in her voice, and if that wasn’t enough she twirled around on her heels so he could see her entire form in the gorgeous hugging gown. “I went shopping this week for a few extra Christmas things, but I saw this at a clothing store and thought I'd look nice in it for the party... It’s not too much is it?”

‘Oh Belle, no it’s not... You’re the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen...’ Rumplestiltskin was near about say as his mouth flung open, but he caught himself mid way and had to avert his face so she couldn’t see the embarrassment residing there. Winding his nervous hands about to still their fluttering he pivoted his head back to her, trying to gain the courage to not hide behind his trickster facade. His noble knight looked to be awaiting his answer with anticipation, and that was what made his pathetic voice crackle out a reply.

"Y-You look beyond b-beautiful Belle...” He said in a soft more human tone before he quickly looked to the tiled floor and the tips of his shabby boots in shame. “Ah, You've probably been hearing that from everyone tonight... You don’t need to hear from something as ugly as me at least!"

He was expecting them to once again grow awkward like they had monday night when he’d been so close to kissing her-though that too was his fault wasn’t it? Burning on the tip of his metal slab for a tongue was a dark quip or another self deprecating joke to break the tension he had forced on them both. However, he remained silent when a set of dainty fingers found their way beneath his chin and lifted his gaze back up. Anxiousness flared through his facial mechanics, but he found honest kindness looking back at him in Belle’s flushed features.

"Thank you, that means a lot to me coming from you... I have to admit I had got the dress with you in mind-Oh... Well, what do we have here?” Intrigue laced her tone as her eyes jumped to up above him, though the mechanical man’s mind was still stuck on what she’d just said- _had she bought it with him in mind!_

“W-What do you mean?" Rumplestiltskin barely managed to mumble before his eyes followed suit and clicked upwards, taking in the sight of the bundle of plant material once again hanging above. "Oh, it’s just some berries."

Belle suddenly gave an amused laugh at that, and the sound sent sparks all the way down to his toes. "That’s called ‘mistletoe’ to be precise. Do you know the tradition behind them?" His knight gave a slight tilt of her head in question, but he could only truthfully shake his head at her. Like always her face lit up as she began to explain to him in great detail about this ‘mistletoe’.

“Long ago Druids believed that mistletoe helped ward off ill omens and brought good will to a house, and in Norse mythology it was used as a symbol representing friendship and love. Back in olden times when it was hung you'd try to kiss someone beneath it before they could pluck off a berry and the fun would be over once all the berries were plucked. Nowadays it's just customary that if more than one person stands beneath it they have to kiss one another."

Rumplestiltskin’s face was lit with awe when her explanation was done, he was even more enamored by how bright and intelligent his companion was.

"Still... It sounds like such a silly sounding tradition to have. You humans never fail to humor me, but I suppose that there could be worse ways to celebrate... Dearest? Is there something wrong?” Rumplestiltskin called out to her, halting his rambling. Somehow when he’d been talking she had grown forlorn as it was pronounced by the way her brows furrowed upwards ever so slightly.

"So, does that mean you wouldn’t want to participate in it then?” She asked, and like the fool he was it took him a moment to understand what on earth she meant, leaving him staring at her in utter confusion.

Then it hit him.

‘There is no way Belle is actually meaning-she couldn’t want to do so with me! This must be some misunderstanding!’ His shock must have been clear enough for her to see again for his human companion gave a tiny smile before she draped both her hands across his leather coated shoulders. 

"Well, we are two people both standing beneath it you know, and you haven’t been able to experience the holiday like everyone has."

This.. This wasn’t right-this had to be some joke. Rumplestiltskin tried to pull back, tried to escape her-the berries-the possibility of getting to kiss his dearest friend. The urge to run, scurry and snap at her in fear buzzed within his wiring, but nothing was stronger than her touch keeping him grounded in place. When she simply quirked a brow at him in question the imp felt himself fluster even worse.

"Ah-you’re you being serious-I know that I haven’t experienced much with you humans and your world... But surely you do not want to do such a thing with me! Evil sorcerer’s just don’t go around kissing their nemesis!” The electronic reverberation of his high voice rung out through the empty building around them, reminding him far too much of how inhuman he was in comparison to her. 

Oh, he knew this had to be a mistake or miscalculation on her part. Then again she could just be pitying him and giving him the only chance he had to ever be with another person _-an actual person_ like this. Though he knew no one could ever desire him for him there was not nor would ever be another being he wanted to kiss than Belle.

"Nonsense! I'd love to share this with you. Unless, you really don’t want to. If that’s the case then that’s fine, we don’t have to." As Belle’s words fell away Rumplestiltskin swore she sounded heartbroken-if only the machine could allow himself to believe that.

In awkward silence they both stood there, avoiding the others gaze as Rumplestiltskin kneaded his jittery hands at his sides. The right thing to do here would be to tease her and take flight, pretending that he’d rather be doing anything than placing his lips upon her or hers upon him. Except... He didn’t. Like the greedy selfish creature he was he wanted that more than anything else, and if this was as close as he’d ever get...

“No... No, I would like to experience this tr-tradition with you Belle.” He admitted, and though it sounded too loud to his own ears, like it would shatter the glass around them, Belle only grinned at him with an innocence that was too pure for something like him.

With care he took her own hands into his so he could set them back down at her side before withdrawing and tucking his arms behind his back. The parts inside of him were rattling already as the intensity of what he was about to do dawned on him and his various systems. His fears were keeping him back, but he could tell if wasted any more time he would loose whatever bravery he had scrounged up, and so with a slight nod towards the beauty he leaned in. Those lips of hers looked so inviting to his own as they slightly parted the closer he got, but he remembered what he had promised himself and steered clear against his longings. Instead he lowered his lips, that were no doubt probably ‘cold’ and ‘clammy’ as humans described unpleasant things, towards the curve of her cheek.

With reverence he brought them against her smooth flesh, softly brushing her skin in the process.

Lingering there for a moment the animatronic allowed himself to press the emotions he felt for her-wether they were real or not upon her in this one gentle act. One day he hoped he would brave enough to let her know just how she made him feel... How happy he was she was in his life-how she continuously saved him from the darkness of his loneliness... How there was no one he’d rather spend the rest of his life, whatever it was he had, with...

One day, perhaps decades after she had found herself a husband, had children, and a beautiful life all her own he’d tell her how much he loved her.

And then the wonderful moment disappeared just as soon as it had begun.

Belle pulled back, peeling his lips away from her so she could look at him. The forced smile that had curled on Rumplestiltskin’s scaly face instantly dropped at the disappointment shinning in her eyes. 

'Oh-she... She must have realized that she didn’t want me to touch her like that. I’m so sorry-I’m so sorry...’ Already his mind was preparing for the worst, and he felt his feet ready to flee as to spare his own nonexistent heart the pain of seeing her growing disgust. To know she had been repulsed by him was too much to-

All those horrid thoughts were lost to him when her hands lifted up towards his face and swiftly captured him, preventing him from going anywhere or looking at anything else.

"Rumple, no..." Belle gave a soft exasperated exhale, as if she was about to prepare herself to tell him what he was so sure was coming. But then... Her thumbs pressed against the faux flesh of his face, and one daringly brushed across his bottom lip in a manner he hadn’t been expecting at all. 

_“You have to kiss me like this."_

Without warning his darling knight leaned forward and in one fluid move pressed her lips against his.

He hadn’t been prepared for this in the slightest. In fact Rumplestiltskin let out a startled gasp right against her mouth as he sensed her hands curling into his wiry hair and around the back of his neck. She was pulling him closer to her, more so than their first short kiss, but he didn’t have the strength to fight her off nor his desires when it felt this good. Though trembling his large metal hands settled at her waist as he tried to copy her and move his mouth to better fit hers. With a little encouragement of her own Belle lead his head with her hand, and suddenly he found his mouth melding into hers unlike-it was unlike anything he’d ever felt before.

He couldn’t understand how this was happening-why this was happening, and for the moment he couldn’t care... It was like he fell into some fantasy or hallucination formed in his programming that he would soon wake up from and find himself all alone in his tiny room. The possibility of all this not being ‘real’ made him grip her a bit tighter, and she didn’t seem to mind how her curves pressed against him-molding to him near perfectly.

His glowing eyes remained lidded as Belle emitted a needy noise in return to a gentle move of his mouth. Everything escalated when she pulled his faux lip into her mouth in a way that had his entire body jolting from the sensations coursing through his wires.

For a second... He almost felt real.

 _"Ah, Belle-please-”_ Even with his mouth busy his vocal box released his cry for her against his will, and that sound seemed to be what broke the trance that had overtaken them both.

Swiftly Belle pulled back from him as her hands released him and left him near staggering from the removal of her weight. Despite having let go the flushed beauty remained looking up at him, and Rumplestiltskin noticed her eyes had taken on a darker hue than their usual sky blue. Staring back down at her he was unable to keep the stunned expression from settling in his face as he slowly let go of her, realizing his hands were keeping her there.

They had kissed just now! Belle had kissed him!

There was no repulsion, no disgust casted his way, though Belle’s face was growing redder than he’d ever seen on her before. More than ever he wanted to know what was going on beyond her smile, what she had felt during that kiss and what she was thinking of as she remained wearing such a affectionate smile... There was no way she could have enjoyed what they just shared... Was there?

Yet, as if their kiss hadn’t just transpired she turned from him, slipping from his grasp entirely and starting to make her way towards the entertainment area. Dumb struck Rumplestiltskin remained planted in place, watching the swish of her backside as she strode without any hesitation or any regret in her stance. One of his hands rose up and brushed across his mouth like her thumb had, wondering what on earth had really just happened... 

But he was surprised for the third time that night when Belle called back to him over her shoulder.

"Let me go and get changed so we can go and relax back in my office for the evening. I brought my portable DVD player so we could watch a movie as a change of pace, and..." Her voice cut off as her pitter pattering heels came to a stop, echoing faintly within the large room. She glanced to him while he remained stuck beneath the berries hanging above his head, feeling more lost than he’d had in his twenty eight years of existing. 

Yet, her smile only grew wider and far more amused as her voice rung through the air.

"Aren't you coming?"

Rumplestiltskin blinked, his hand still tracing over his mouth as his wires within eventually stopped squirming and sparking like they had during... When he realized what he was doing he flung his hand away as if it bit his hard hide and began to swivel about, trying to find some excuse.

"I'll be right there... Gotta make sure everything is fine out here! Who knows what destruction you all might have caused tonight!” He lamely said in his impish timbre, but his pathetic excuse seemed to be enough for Belle just shook her head at him.

“Well, just don’t keep me waiting too long.” With that and a wink sent his way she continued walking without him.

Rumplestiltskin didn't move an inch until he heard her disappear on speedy steps through the double doors at the other end of the building, but when he did his plated shoulders fell with a mighty ‘clack’. Tension twisted out of his joints and moveable parts, but surging within him was an incredible sensation he couldn’t describe in words nor mathematical equations.

Right as he was moving to follow after like a lost puppy the machine stopped in place, recollecting what he'd first been after before this unbelievable gift he'd been given to him. Turning back his glowing gaze landed upon the berries-the  _mistletoe_ he corrected, and without a thought more he plucked it right from its string. Gently he rolled a white berry between his fingers as he strode through the room to follow after Belle. His thoughts remained trapped in that moment however, stuck on how effortlessly Belle had kissed him and how he had kissed her in return.

'She is far too kind to give me such a gift... Perhaps I looked so pathetic she decided she would endure a kiss for me-she didn’t have to do that.' The imp thought to himself with a sad twisted grin as his limbs clattered while he walked. 'Don't get your hopes up, she did it only to spare hurting your feelings, it doesn't mean she wants you like you do her... Even if it felt real there's no way anyone could ever want a broken pile of junk let alone love it.' 

It helped to remind himself his reality so his programming would stop acting like all his fantasies could come to life, but for once he wanted to believe so badly such a dream might be true.

Yet, his fragile expression changed when he realized something quite interesting about the decoration in his hand, forcing him to look down at it. His grip should have crushed the berries between his fingers from his lack of control, and yet they didn't burst into a pulpy mess-in fact, they couldn’t.

Because the berries were just as artificial as he was-it was entirely fake. And yet people ha still kissed under them regardless if they were real or not...

Perhaps... That could be the same for him too.

A smile came back to his lips as he admired his new found treasure and the wonderful memory it now held. Before heading back to Belle's office the animatronic took a detour past it to the maintenance room so he could store his treasure in the safety of his hideout. The darkness of the room lit up with the aid of his eyes, and when he slipped into his sanctuary he set the mistletoe in an empty spot on his shelf next to the chipped mug. Pleased with the new addition Rumplestiltskin looked over his things though his mind was yards away, focused on his awaiting security guard tucked in her office.

She’d been so kind, giving him all these things-these experiences and chances no other human had ever even thought to give him. Surely... There must be something he could do for her in return, even if he couldn’t buy her anything or give her what she truly needed.

To the broken machine Belle deserved the world and so much more, and he'd make sure he’d show her just how much she meant to him in what ways he could. Yet, as he stood there in his small empty space he understood there couldn’t be anything Belle could give him for Christmas that would best what he’d gotten months ago on a fateful August night...

She was already the greatest gift he could ever ask for.


	23. Chapter 23

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As Belle sets off to find the perfect surprise for her beloved animatronic he himself is stuck trying to figure out his own for her, as well as what his place is at Belle’s side. Yet, surprises, both good and bad, find their way into the duos lives.

"I just don't know how you do it Bells." A weary voice mumbled as the two figure’s steps began to bounce across the pavement. "How do you go almost day after day, doing a night shift and then a regular shift all while driving to and from Boston? I'm barely even mentally aware or motivated to do anything till noon- _hey_... Speaking of mentally aware, there you go again. You're not even paying attention to me right now are you?"

The words aimed in the beauty's direction drifted past, going right over her head as her gaze remained on the ground. Yet, Belle's lidded eyes weren't focused at all upon the crags or cracks spotted through out the sidewalk. Where she was imagining was somewhere farther from this street, beyond down town, past the neighborhoods, and to the one of a kind family fun center.  More so they were drawing up the form of the building’s mysterious figure tucked within his sanctuary as flickers of the scaly animatronic rose up in her mind.

She couldn’t help but find it beyond strange to think back on how Rumplestiltskin had once terrified her within Avonlea's darkened halls. That fateful night he’d chased her through out them, startled her into a panic, and made her fear what those jagged teeth within that mouth could do to flesh and bone... But now…

Now all she could think of was how wonderful his silicone lips slanted against her own had felt the other night. 

She was still having a hard time believing what she had done. Despite the fear and doubt fighting against her she’d found her bravery and taken the plunge beneath the mistletoe with her dearest companion. He had been the one far more surprised by her bold actions out of the two of them after he had leaned in and given her an innocent kiss on the cheek without expecting anything more. Yet, she swore she could still feel how his clawed hands had tightened at her waist while his mouth clumsily followed suit to match her own.

That tender moment reminded her just how inexperienced he was compared to her since she had to help lead him so they could deepen their kiss. Even with Rumplestiltskin’s obvious innocence there was no mistaking or denying that he had decided to kiss her back since his metal jaw had opened and molded his mouth against hers with little hesitation. He'd chosen for himself to make what they shared beyond the first shy peck on the lips she'd given him weeks ago. 

Desire and passion rose back up in Belle as she recollected taking his lip within her mouth and threading her hands through his soft hair. She could still hear the cry he had emitted in response to her touch, one that had sparked every fiber in her body to push herself closer to him. Never had kissing someone or being held like that been as intimate as that short moment for the beauty. Out of the few previous relationships she had here and there, long before Rumplestiltskin stumbled into her life, none of them had ever made her feel like… Like… 

Like it was the most real thing she'd ever felt with anyone at all. 

But that was exactly what made everything between them too frightening with its intensity.

The doubts and fears emerged in a flurry within her once more at the memory of how she had retreated from her imp and his enticing lips. She’d broken their kiss to ease her heart that was near close to bursting in want, but the way he looked after they parted had only made it worse. All of his emotions had been bared in the twitches of his face and warmth of his alien amber eyes, revealing the awe, fear, and happiness he could not conceal behind his barbed walls. 

It was knowing that she alone had caused him to look like that almost brought her an inch close to kissing him again. 

Which was all the more reason she had to flee.

She'd felt ashamed excusing herself to dart away from him, but it gave her some needed space to gather herself for a while. After that the two spent the rest of the night cozied up together on the couch in her office to watch some movies. It’d been impossible for Belle to remain focused on watching them-especially with a certain someone's leg pressed up against hers throughout. Her thoughts had ran rampant in all directions as she and Rumplestiltskin sat in the screen’s small glow, awkwardly avoiding the other’s gaze. She had caught him trying to look at her without her notice those long six hours, but like nervous children they laughed and glanced away, pretending as if nothing happened. 

When the clock chimed it was time for her to leave they managed to part from each other with hesitant drawn out goodbyes. 

Now, two days later, the beauty wasn’t done mulling over him or wondering what he had to have been thinking about sitting beside her…

'Maybe... Just maybe, I'm not alone in this, and that he's thinking about me and what we shared right now too. He clearly liked kissing me-I'm positive. So that means there could be a chance that he does feel the same way I do for him… What would happen if I just out right told him?  _Hey Rumple-I need to make a confession… I really, really, like you, and I'm attracted to you-I’m hoping we can be more than friends-Ack!_ How could I tell him that! I know I care for him so much, but I don't know if I... Could I lov-’

“ _Yo, earth to Belle!_  Are we going to go in or not?"

Belle's gaze shot up from the ground at the voice, suddenly feeling lost and out of place in the world beyond her thoughts. After glancing around she realized she was standing right outside Storybrooke's only convenient store with her disgruntled friend holding the door wide open for her. The lanky waitress all snug in her red coat and ear muffs arched a brow in the security guard's direction, causing Belle to gape in confusion.

Everything came back to her a second later.

"Oh-I'm sorry Ruby, that's right-we're getting snacks and stuff for the trip. I just got lost in my thoughts there like normal.” Belle replied calmly, though she felt her pink cheeks darken in humiliation. As if to help remind her where she was the icy wind tugged at her body, making her pull at the collar of her coat to keep it at bay. Somehow she’d become oblivious to even the bitter cold assailing all of Storybrooke.

"That would be fine and all, except you've been doing that all morning since I picked you up.” Ruby complained before setting her free hand on her hip. "You haven't wiped off that silly smile on your face the entire time we've been together. Just what is it exactly you've been thinking about?”

"Oh, it's nothing that important, I guess I'm just in a good mood today." Belle teased with a smile before moving past her friend and into the building. 

The rush of heat that met her face was wonderful in helping clear her mind and it kept her thoughts busy-mostly from a certain imp while she wandered. She didn't miss Ruby's loud sigh as she followed inside though, causing the door's bell to jingle as it closed. It was quiet through out the store after that, Belle took notice that there weren't many other people inside, but it was pretty early in the morning on a Sunday for most people to be out and about.

Even her tall companion who for all her talking appeared barely awake as she put a hand over her mouth to conceal a yawn. The weary security guard hadn't wanted to be up this early either on her full day off from both jobs since the college library she worked at had closed for winter break, but with Christmas right around the corner the two of them had made plans to get some shopping finished up over in Boston. Ruby had offered to drive since there were things she was needing to get for the New Year's party she was helping with while Belle was still searching desperately for something special to give Rumplestiltskin. With a few days left and no good ideas things were starting to look less in her favor, but she wasn't planning on giving up yet.

As they continued to prep for the day the two browsed and chatted throughout the aisles. Belle gave a polite ‘good morning' to the store's owner Mr. Clark who stood behind the counter and gave a congested ‘hello' back as he fought off a sneeze.

"So tell me again who you've got left to shop for. You’re usually ahead of time with these type of things, and we already know I'm pretty much starting my shopping.” Ruby asked while Belle snagged a bag of her favorite chips. “I kind of know what to get Granny…”

"Well, I've gotten my dad's gifts all set except this new razor he mentioned he'd been wanting. You, I’ve already gotten yours all taken care of so I don’t need to worry about that.” Belle paused counting off the names in her head when she caught a look of playful disappointment flicker across Ruby's face. "What? Do you think me so trusting to shop for you while you're with me? I know you’d be far too tempted to peak you sneaky thing... Anyways, I’ve got only a few other people I still need to get something for like Sheriff Graham and Henry.”

‘And then there’s my huge problem with Rumple of course, not that Ruby can know... Still, there must be something worthwhile I can figure out to get him. The things I already bought him seem too boring even if he's in dire need of them-I hope he'll like them at least...' Once more Belle felt her heart and stomach fill with butterflies as she wondered over what Rumplestiltskin's reaction would be while she just couldn't wait to see him  _in_  her gifts.

"Shoot! I’ve been meaning to ask you something super important!" Her friend suddenly exclaimed right beside her, startling Belle enough she almost jumped straight into the air. A wild brimming excitement was radiating off Ruby when she leaned in closer, her voice lowering a bit. "Now tell me-have you gotten that boyfriend of yours anything special for Christmas yet?"

As soon as the weight of her words settled in Belle’s pale cheeks began to boil against her will. "What-"

“You totally have! Just look at you, you’re as red as that silly bow tie of yours!” The mischievous gleam of Ruby’s green eyes grew, tormenting Belle further whose complexion was beyond feverish now.

Trying to mask her evident reaction the beauty turned away, not wanting to encourage her friends terminology or focus on how much she liked the sound of it. 

"No-I didn’t get him anything, and that's because I don't have a boyfriend in the first place. You know that." Belle’s tone was a bit too curt for her liking as she pretended to be more interested in some unappealing granola bars. Yet, she knew now that her friend had sunk her teeth into this topic nothing was going to get her out of talking about it.

“Oh come on Belle don't be like that… Fine-fine, this stranger of yours is  ** _not_**  your boyfriend and you don't have feelings for him, I get it. It doesn't help you prove your case with how mysterious you are about him.” While she didn't look very apologetic Ruby seemed at least to be giving her some leeway-somewhat.

"There's nothing mysterious about us at all... We've just become good friends in the last few months we've gotten to know one another. And no I haven’t gotten him a gift-well I have, but I want to get him something special to show my appreciation- _for his friendship mind you._ ” Belle explained in a hushed tone as Ruby inched even closer, not looking like she was believing what the beauty said in the slightest. Realizing she wasn’t going to be getting out of this she gave her own sigh of defeat and rubbed at her forehead.

“If you must know more… We have a lot of fun together-not the kind you’re thinking of, but I'm not going to lie, he’s a pretty strange and unique… Man… But beneath his quirks he's thoughtful and understanding-like he has a knack for always making me laugh and feel better when I'm down. He’s fond of books and reading just like me-he's good with kids too, and he’s the only person I’ve met that can beat me at Ms. Pacman." Belle's eyes lidded with her thoughts all wrapped up again in her mechanical man as her voice dropped to a mere whisper. "There are times where he's cold and sharp so he can put up these big walls to keep me out, yet I know he does that because he's afraid to get close to anyone or let them in... He’s had a very hard life, and he's suffered so much, but when I manage to make him smile in return _..._   _It's the most amazing thing I’ve ever seen._ ”

She could see it so clearly, the way every feature of her companion’s face lifted when his fragile grin broke free of its restraints… Somehow so much had changed between them since they first had gotten used to each other’s presence. Months ago his smiles had been fleeting, most of them had been for show to hide his anxieties, his hopes, his fears. But when she managed to break past the mask he wore, the pain he felt no one should see, and the metal plates and parts he thought kept them apart that the smile he wore was true.

Without even knowing he'd done the exact same for her too.

Realizing she had been more than likely standing in place staring off again Belle glanced towards Ruby, only to feel her humility worsen. The dark haired woman stood there, her mouth wide open in awe at her confession, which made Belle’s embarrassment worsen.

"No wait! Keep going-I definitely heard longing in your voice there!" Ruby exclaimed in glee, speaking loud enough she was sure to have alerted the entire store of Belle’s predicament. "Oh-you do! You keep saying you don't, but you more than like this guy! No one talks about just anyone like that-now come on and share the juicy details! Is he from around here and is he someone I know? More importantly, on a scale from one to ten how sexy would you rate him?” 

With a swift movement Ruby snatched up one of Belle's hands, and left the young woman sputtering as she tried to put in some kind of rebuttal.

"Or did looks not matter? Maybe you both met at that library you work at and happened to be grabbing for the same book at the same exact time one day. You ended up brushing hands and catching the others eye, maybe you flirted over one of those Jane Austen books you like so much-”

"Oh my god stop! Please! Our first meeting didn't happen at all like that! Trust me, it was as far from romantic as you could possibly imagine." Belle managed to interject with a laugh, putting a stop to the absurd ideas spilling from Ruby's lips.

If only she knew how her and Rumplestiltskin's first introduction had went and their many nights after that frightening encounter. Ruby hadn’t the slightest clue of the joyful and heartbreaking times the pair had endured the past few months between the break-ins, break downs, and broken memories… From an outsiders perspective she knew their story wouldn't be something anyone would believe let alone think would lead to the friendship-or something more between such two different beings… Yet, for the first time in a long time Belle felt connected to someone else albeit he was made of wires and metal, and she didn’t feel the need to keep him at arms lengths or hide from him who she was…

She just didn't know if a soulful machine, broken and hurt after after being spurred by humanity, could ever come to return what a mere lonely human had come to feel for him. More than anything she wanted to be brave enough to find the answer, but her buried fears returned at the thought of risking it all with such a heavy price... Loosing Rumplestiltskin, his smile, his silly voice, his comfort and touch… Loosing her best friend, her confidant, her beloved companion…

Her auburn locks shook with her head before she glanced back up to Ruby, bearing a smile that didn't reach her blue eyes. “No, we’re just friends and it will stay that way. Besides, let’s say I did feel that way for him, there's always the chance he might not feel the same for me. If I confessed and he didn't-couldn't reciprocate or wanted nothing to do with me I’d rather not face the possibility of loosing him and his friendship.”

The lanky waitress stared down at the security guard for a few silent seconds, appearing baffled. Belle blinked her dark lashes for a moment, confused herself at this reaction, but Ruby spoke before she could.

"Huh? That's not a Belle thing to say at all... Are you sure you're her? The strange Australian girl I met a long time ago would never let anything stop her from going after what she wanted, not what other people said, not her father, and most definitely not because she was afraid." The former eagerness Ruby had worn melted away as she gently released Belle's hand and turned. With her back now faced to Belle her face was hidden behind the length of her long dark hair. "Then again, we've known each other for quite a few years now, and yet... I still don't know the  _you_  do I?"

The heart pattering within Belle stopped for a split second, and a cold dread sunk into the hollow of her chest.

"I mean I know you Belle, yet I also know you haven't shared everything with me... And that's fine. We’ve all got our ghosts and burdens to bear, but I can tell there are lots of things you hide from the world when you should’t have to, and perhaps what saddens me most is you do it all while wearing a smile like nothing's wrong. I don't mean any of this in offensive way or to tell you what to do, but just trust me on this. Hiding away the hurt from everyone... Expecting the worst like it's all you'll ever get... That's no way to live."

Silence lulled between them, stifling seconds that felt to suffocate Belle, but there had been nothing but sincerity in Ruby’s tone. Yet, what she said… No matter how the young woman wanted to deny it and say that she was fine-there was nothing wrong-she didn't hide...

She knew she couldn't because it was all too true.

Was her own well placed mask far more cracked and revealing than she thought? For years now it felt like she'd kept her chin held up high under the guise of adventure and bravery, never wanting anyone to worry or look at her with pity like they did as a child… But deep down she knew all she'd been doing-was doing, was nothing but running from everything-from everyone.

She wasn't any fairy tale hero, no noble knight striding in to save the day... Inside she was that same broken little girl no matter how far her feet took her, how many people she fooled, or how many years passed.

"Like I have any room to talk though..." Ruby said with a weary breath, her shoulders drooping with an invisible weight, but then she quickly turned back around and shot Belle a confident expression. "But, I will say your dreamboat would absolutely have to be dumber than a box of rocks if he didn't like you back or chose to give up your friendship. You’re way smart, pretty, funny… And a bit odd-not that there’s anything wrong with that, but from your description of him you sound like the perfect pair. _Just_ … Do the brave thing I know you can do and go tell him okay! And more so you should throw me a bone here and at least tell me his name!"

Belle couldn't help but let out a chuckle and feel a bit elated at the the wolfish girl’s words before tucking her lip between her teeth as she tried to find her own right words. But as much as Ruby was making sense this was also coming from the perspective of someone assuming that this was any normal situation-or normal man they were talking about… It pained her to think how she might have reacted otherwise if she knew her friend was smitten for a sentient green-gold animatronic man.

“You're right… If what I do feel for him happens to be something more-which it might not be.” Belle said, ignoring the pure disbelief looking back at her in that angular pretty face. "And I do want to tell you more about him, but I can't yet-not right now... His life is far more complicated than anyone's you've ever met-so please, if you can just give me a bit more time then maybe someday soon you could meet him. I hope the two of you could even be friends.” 

Blatant confusion started rising up in Ruby's features, about to burst forth in a sea of pressing endless questions. Belle grew frantic to stall and change the topic and with luck the perfect excuse arose-well, technically it wasn’t an excuse.

"Ah-ah-ah! I just now happen to recall that I'd tell you more about him only over drinks, and those were drinks you said you'd cover by the way." A smirk twisted up the corner of her mouth, her deal making skills were improving at least thanks to her company.

Finally having been bested Ruby crossed her arms and squinted back at her in silent dismay. 

“I suppose I did say that didn’t I… Fine, for the time being I promise I’ll stop pestering you about it, but you need to update me if anything happens between you and Mr. Mysterious  _A-S-A-P_. But now that I think about it… I got the greatest idea on what to get you for Christmas!” As if a flip had been switched Ruby gave a sly grin that made Belle’s brows furrow up in worry. “Or I know at least what to give the two of you just incase you decide to actually make a move on one another. Don’t worry, I happen to be excellent at shopping for lingerie, and I would pick you out the perfect sexy set that would have him eating out of the palm of your hand-or maybe something else  _if you know what I mean_ -”

“Ms. Lucas! I certainly hope you don't talk out loud like that in public every where you go." A firm sharp voice abruptly broke through their conversation, making the duo flinch and whirl about to find it.

Standing not too far off towards the front of the store was a familiar looking woman with an even more familiar young boy standing right beside her. Sure enough, glaring daggers at them both, was the town’s own formidable mayor Regina Mills with her son Henry accompanying her. The boy was somewhat hidden behind his grey and red stripped scarf, looking a tad bit embarrassed at his mother’s outburst... Or perhaps he had heard Ruby's rather lewd statement as the waitress herself was turning a darker shade of red than her own crimson coat.

Regina, looking just as regal as her name sounded with her slick attractive black pant suit and firm stance, arched a brow at Ms. Lucas. If Belle hadn't known her friend well enough she would have missed the absolute mortification flicker in her otherwise sturdy expression.

The strange tense standoff felt like an eternity in that near empty pharmacy, but it was clear that Ms. Mills had the advantage.

“I hope you don’t mind, but I’d like share a private word here with Ms. French.” Regina cooly said to Ruby, her tone as icy as the wind howling away outside. 

“Of course! Hey Belle-I'm going to go and get.... Our drinks-I'll get you your ice tea you like. Nice seeing you like usual Ms. Mills and you too Henry.” Ruby managed to force out under the mayor's critical stare before turning and darting down the aisle well out of sight. When Ruby was gone, as far as she could be, Regina appeared to relax somewhat-not that Belle could honestly tell, and the small boy beside her perked up.

"Hi Belle!" Henry chirped, giving a small wave with one hand as his other holding onto his backpack’s strap. 

"Hello Henry, it's good to see you again, and it's nice to meet you for the first time Ms. Mills. I’ve heard quite a bit about you from Henry.” Remaining polite as ever Belle kept her gentle expression steady as she took care to word her next sentence. It just wasn't every day that a figure like the mayor, someone she'd never met face to face before, needed to talk to her in 'private'. “You just mentioned you wanted to speak with me?"

Regina didn't seem upset in regards to her, though the woman's constant serious expression gave Belle no extra sense of comfort. "You can just call me Regina Ms. French as there's no need for such formalities here. After all you're the woman who rescued my son and took care of him when he chose to deliberately disobey me, sneak out in the middle of the night, and trespass onto private property a few weeks ago." With a tilt of her head the mayor gave a firm glance over at her son who hid further behind his scarf as if hoping it would swallow him up.

"It was no big deal." The security guard jumped in quick, not wanting to get Henry in any more trouble since it was looking to head that way. "I couldn't stand the thought of him getting hurt out there, it’s simply part of the job as a security guard to watch out for any and all kids. I'm sure he's learned his lesson well enough and will be visiting Avonlea during open hours from now on.”

Henry's faint smile widened at her words, and Belle shot him a playful wink. Still, she was not used to seeing the usually happy go lucky kid so subdued and afraid. After their encounter at Avonlea Rumplestiltskin had told her about what he and the boy discussed before she had gotten there, giving her had a better idea of what Henry was going through at home. Though, she still felt as if she shouldn’t butt in nor give Regina parenting advice-so long as Henry was safe of course. She had no right to make any judgements since she wasn't a mother herself, and she had her own complicated experience with her own.

Regina seemed to catch onto their wordless conversation then before clearing her throat as she crossed her arms.

"I just wanted to let you know I appreciate all that you've done for him. You seem to be more apt to take care of things and rise to the occasion then some people around here-even if you and your friend Ms. Lucas there don't consider me a good leading figure." The barb aimed at her made the security guard glance away, but now Belle could easily see the mayor’s resemblance to her mother Cora within that thin painted on smile. “That’s all I was wanting to talk with you about, we’ll leave you be-”

“Wait! I have something I’d like to give Belle!” Henry suddenly pipped in, and Regina’s head snapped back down towards her son, appearing shocked herself at his outburst. The young boy stepped forward, not wasting any time, before digging into his bag and pulling up a neatly wrapped package. “I’m sorry again about me sneaking into Avonlea that night... And to make it up to you I used some of my allowance and got you something nice for Christmas. I found it over at the town's old pawnshop, the one called Mr. Gold’s-it’s pretty cool though, and I thought it would be perfect.” His voice lightened, sounding more like the inquisitive secret agent she first met at Granny’s.

“This was so sweet of you, and you didn't have to do this, but I appreciate it very much and I wish you a Merry Christmas too.” Touched by his thoughtfulness Belle grinned back at him, reaching forward and taking the offered gift. Part of her was instantly curious to what lay beneath the sparkling red and white wrapping paper, but instead of opening it then and there like her fingers were itching to she tucked it against her own chest, treasuring the weight of his gesture. She was definitely going to get her kind small co-agent something amazing to repay him. 

“Be sure not to open it till later at Avonlea okay? That's super important.” Henry informed her, and for a split second she thought she saw him smirking as if he’d done something rather clever. While she wasn’t sure what he was up to Belle gently nodded, and that caused the excited shimmer in the boy’s brown eyes to grow.

“That was very thoughtful of you Henry…” Regina’s voice was… _Soft,_ when she spoke, startling Belle a bit herself at the sound of it. Despite all she’d heard and her overall impression of the woman before her she could see clearly in her dark brown eyes was a flicker of love as she set a hand on Henry’s back. Yet, the moment was short lived as Regina returned to her normal stance, gripping at the strap of her purse while she looked back at the security guard as if fearing she’d seen too much. “Well, have a good rest of your day Ms. French. I hope we don’t have to meet under such unpleasant circumstances again nor any with such vulgarities from your friend.” 

"I'm sorry, we'll make sure that doesn't happen again." Belle informed her, growing a bit flustered at such an insinuation. Yet, just as she saw the mayor about to turn away her brain made her blurt out one final thing. "But-I hope you have a Merry Christmas too Regina!"

More surprise flickered across the woman’s elegant features at those words, but just as quickly the mayor turned on her heels and began to walk away. Henry didn't look like he wanted to follow but had to-not before giving Belle another wave to which she returned. When the two disappeared after paying Mr. Clark the jingle of the door’s bell signaled their departure and Belle turned her attention back down to the gift in her arms. 

Her heart warmed even further at the kind gesture while she noticed there was actually a note of the same color taped to the package. Of course the beauty peeled it off and opened it, becoming too distracted in her curiosity to pay attention to the sound of Ruby coming down the aisle. Inside the note there was a message written in a wide familiar handwriting just like in Henry's secretive letters.

_'Thank you for all you've done for me and becoming my friend! I wish we could hang out together again soon! In the meantime I hope you enjoy my gift. From-Henry. P.S....'_

When Belle read the last line her poor heart once again began pounding in an erratic rhythm against her ribs.

"Alright, I got all our drinks and my snacks, so lets hit the road... Just incase Ms. Mills comes back-oh god, I don't think I can ever look her in the face ever again." Ruby groaned from behind, forcing the beauty to close the note and stuff it back into her coat pocket. After turning around Belle saw Ruby's arms cradling their haul, though she couldn't help but chuckle inside over how flushed her friend still was from earlier.

Not that she herself was fairing any better at the moment.

Ruby didn't inquire near as much about the gift Belle received nor her own rosy complexion as the two of them reached the counter. Instead she argued about who was going to pay, trying to use the idea of 'what counted as drinks' in hopes to sneakily fulfill her side of the deal by paying for a mere iced tea. In the end Belle was the one to pay since Ruby was driving after all, which made the wolfish woman whine in disappointment, before they were back outside and headed towards the car. As the two of them buckled in Belle couldn't help but think about the note residing in her coat pocket-another one added to her growing collection that was tormenting her at every given second. When Ruby turned the radio up as they sped off towards the edge of town, blaring some pop music and singing along, Belle couldn't stop from reaching back into her pocket.

Opening the note again she read that last scribbled line one more time, making sure she hadn’t imagined what was there. Thankfully the driver was far too occupied to notice her scarlet features as she slid further down the seat. 

Oh no it was there alright.

_'From-Henry. P.S. Belle please wait to open the gift till you're at Avonlea-it’s for you and your ‘true love!’ :)’_

A hefty exhale left her pink parted lips while the note was tucked back into her pocket. 

This was going to be a long, long, day.

—————

Figuring out what to give someone as a gift shouldn't be as difficult as this. Then again, Rumplestiltskin's persistent memory kept reminding him that he was stuck with no means to purchase anything and little to work with save a treasure trove of accumulated 'junk'...

It was taking all his effort not to release his frustrations out in an inhuman screech.

At least it was somewhat satisfying to take out some of his irritation on the crinkled leaves beneath his boots. They crunched and crackled with his constant pacing, echoing their final cries-far too loud and yet not noticeable at all. When he came to a stop his set of glowing eyes peeled away from the ground to look up at the dense cloudy sky looming beyond the barren tree limbs. Any moment now he swore he would catch a glimpse of fluffy white flakes flutter down from the dark, but like all week they refused to fall.

"Which is good! I've already endured being out in mucky rain so I think it's best I stay out of anything of the sort. It all makes such nasty  _messes_." The scaly animatronic grumbled to himself as he tugged at the hood about his head that the wind was trying to snatch away. "Though I should be asking myself...  _What the hell am I doing out here?"_

While he had become more comfortable walking out of Avonlea on his lonesome now, for his servos weren’t threatening to lock up on him as much, he was still extremely worried about being seen. It helped that the darkness, weather, and the scrapped-up coat he borrowed were enough to conceal his unfavorable form on a night like this. However, even with his constant anxiousness at every loud rustle nearby the imp felt he'd still have made his way out here to wander around through the woods skirting the family fun center. For twenty eight years he'd been stuck inside that building day in and day out, but tonight was the night he'd felt the most confined within them.

This was after he'd spent a good time pacing up and down the hallways, playing a few rounds of his favorite arcade game, even babbling away to the port prickly plant sitting in the break room. None of that had helped ease the sparks of code nervously humming through his body, but then again he knew exactly why...

"Belle's done so much for me... She's given me clothes, and helped repair my body in what ways she could. She's chosen to spend her time with me, and not just because she had to, but because she wanted to..." Rumplestiltskin began to whisper to the emptiness surrounding him as he placed a golden-green hand against the trunk of a tree. "For some reason she's decided to be more than kind to a monster that doesn't even deserve to exist... And she-she's touched me-held me as if I was no different than her or anyone else. She's kissed me on the lips without a drop of horror or r-repulsion in her eyes! I couldn't feel her lips or the touch of her mouth in a human sense, but I...  _I felt her._ "

The parts in his throat scraped against each other as his system brought forth that incredible evening to him in perfect detail. Like their first gentle kiss he'd been thinking about their second one every other minute since Belle had tilted his face and brought her mouth against his. He could see it now just like then-the way her eyes had sparkled like jewels after they parted, how her lips had been flushed, and the way her body in that glittering gold dress had enhanced her natural beauty. Desire and want for his knight flooded heavy through his wires at the vibrant memories, causing the imp's facial mechanics to twitch sporadically.

Yet, the spark her touch, body, and soul alighted in him also was causing Rumplestiltskin's building frustrations to escalate worse. How could he repay her for everything she'd done for him-let alone having to endure kissing a mechanical abomination! Oh no, no-no-no. He wasn't allowing himself to hope for a split second that she had kissed him for any reasons other than because she pitied him. There was no way that someone as kind and wonderful as Belle French would ever, ever,  **ever** want  _him_  in  _that_  regard.

The animatronic's lips curled downwards as he faced the resounding truth that remained before him. 'Belle... She cares for me deeply and I care for her so-so much, but even she could never come to love me, I know that. Besides, she’d deserve so much more if by some impossible-improbable chance she came to feel that way, if she could find me-me-d-desirable...’

Truth was someone like her deserved someone who was brave and honest, kind and understanding, a person made of flesh and blood that was warm to the touch. She deserved someone who would be able to offer her a bright future together, to give her anything she desired as well as provide for all her needs... But most of all... She deserved someone whose feelings were true, and not some fabricated imitation stuck inside a cold horrifying shell. 

She needed someone real.

"What could I possibly get her that she deserves then? How can I give her anything that would be worth something and not just a-a-a pile of rubbish!" The animatronic spat loudly to the darkness as if hoping someone was listening to his pathetic cries. Grinding his nasty teeth together in a grimace he whirled about on his feet, trying to release the tension building in his joints with movement. "It's not like I can care for her like all the other people in her life! Damnit! I-I can't provide for her-I can barely be with her outside Avonlea’s walls! I can't give her what she needs or desires- ** _I can't even really love her!_** "

His body parts gave a loud crackle with building energy, his cords writhing beneath the leather and plates like dying snakes.

"And if I can't do anything-c-can't be anything more than this- _fucking thing._.."

Those fearsome hands tightened into fists at his side, rattling with the pain he could not contain.

A pain that didn’t even exist.

"Then what  _right_  do I have to be beside her!”

It overran him too fast, the self loathing and hatred that rose up from deep within his coding to scorch his insides. In an instant one of his eyes flickered to a pin point glow as Rumplestiltskin flung himself wildly about, lashing at whatever he could. One of his hands struck a nearby tree, ripping straight through part of the trunk's wood with astonishing ease as he let out a guttural crackled cry. Splinters and shards of bark flew through the air from the deep jagged lines he left, swept away by the wind, while the machine hunched over and bared its jaw wide open in an animal like stance.

But then he caught sight of the destruction he caused, seeing the monster like claw marks in the belly of the tree which ripped him out from the fault he was verging on.

Horror flickered across the his silicone features while his pinpoint eye flickered to normal-whole and full of fear. The animatronic stumbled back, like he’d taken a blow himself, before glancing down at the unharmed segmented hand trembling in front him.

For the longest time the only sound was the wind howling as it tore away the machine’s hood, sending his wiry locks whipping around his face.

Then, slowly echoing throughout the twisting trees, one of his strangled giggles floated forth.

"Of course... That- _this_  is what I'm good at! I'm meant to destroy, to hurt and frighten people-not to create-or to-to love and be loved! Why do I keep thinking things will suddenly change-that I'll wake up one day anything different!" A sense of madness fell in place alongside the electronic rattle of his voice-almost gleeful and joyous, as he wound his fingers into his hair.  _"I am-I am-I am what I am! A monster dreaming of being a man!"_

Eerie laughter spilled forth, near ecstatic in sound, but the sadness creeping into his face betrayed him. Soon the giggling thinned into pitiful sounds, and his arms gave way, falling limp to his sides with a clatter. When his weight seemed too heavy for his wrought frame to uphold Rumplestiltskin slumped against the tree marred from his violence. There he remained unmoving for a while, while both amber orbs slowly clicked against their sockets to look up at the sky far above.

Moonlight had broken through a gap in the clouds, spilling over Avonlea and everything beneath it. Part of the mechanical man wanted to recoil from the rays touch, torn between the fact it made him visible and how he enjoyed the closest to true light he could reach. Yet, he just stood there statue like in place and allowed it to trace over his figure. His metal eyelids pinched together from the brightness while the silver glow set the scales of his exposed hull sparkling a sickly color.

Yet, standing underneath it all-illuminated by the thin slivers, Rumplestiltskin couldn't help but wonder if anyone else might doing the same exact thing. Was someone out there looking up at the sky, wondering if anyone else was peering above with the same loneliness encompassing them?

Especially... A certain boy... One that would be a grown man now, that may or may not be alive... Or have existed at all.

Once more the animatronic was caught up in torn visions, either from the tapes or his own lost memories he didn’t know. He could see that set of red small sneakers and mop full of brown soft hair, could hear that tender voice called out to him from across time and space. 

_('Hey, Zero-One-A are you awake?')_

The machine couldn't help but marvel that those broken visuals of a wee boy sitting on his old stage gave him the deepest sense of familiarity despite all he didn't know... And there was so much he didn't. How could all these feelings sparking inside of him be over a person he'd been forced to forget? Each passing day he felt more torn and lost over a child he once had promised to be with always but whose name he couldn't even recall.

He didn't know his name-didn’t know if that man was out there somewhere at all, had a warm place to call home, or loved ones to take care of him. Would he, if he was alive, get to spend this Christmas with the warmth of a large family, to hold and cherish this year? Would there be enough for him to eat-to have-to be happy? Would he find a memory buried within his heart if he took the time to stop and glance out the window to see the half moon peaking out from the clouds, and maybe-just maybe...Think of a strange scaly animatronic he once knew a long time ago?

Rumplestiltskin scoffed at himself.

He didn’t deserve such a sentimental thing as being remembered when he himself had forgotten so much… Had done so much wrong. 

Still, he hoped and prayed to any power that might listen to his pleas that this person was alive somewhere… And that he had all these things and more. That all these years he’d been loved and happy, never having to suffer decades of loneliness like he had before he met Belle-

_(‘Please-I need you to wake up-’)_

Abruptly the imp’s auditory sensors jolted him from within, forcing his eyes to fling wide open.

Not far in the distance was the familiar sound of tires against pavement, headed straight in the direction of the family fun center. Worry sprang up inside him in a brief flick, but the next instant he was flying upon his high legged boots. Rumplestiltskin wasn’t far at all from Avonlea, and he darted inhumanly fast through the density of trees, dried leaves, and underbrush in the same direction. The shape of the building rose up quickly in his line of sight as he brought himself to a halt along the edge of the woods, his wicked yellow eyes peering out from the shadows.

There was no mistaking whose little white car was pulling up to the completely empty parking lot. Belle's vehicle parked itself in its usual spot underneath the lone street light-right on time like usual. In an instant Rumplestiltskin’s golden-green lips broke out into a thin smile as the pain from earlier dissipated in his blossoming eagerness at seeing his dearest companion. He raised one foot without much thought to run out and join her side, but then planted it back down.

Shoot… He hadn't meant to be outside still when she arrived! His noble knight didn't hide the fact that she disliked the idea of him being beyond Avonlea by himself, and of course time had slipped past his fingertips before he had the chance to get back inside. No doubt he'd be getting a slight scolding from her if he waltzed out now, but that was better than worrying her when she went inside looking for him. With a bit of hesitation the imp stepped forth from the darkness of the trees, calling out to Belle to avoid startling her with his presence.

"Belle!" His noble knight was just getting out of her car when the echo of his voice breached the thinning distance between them-now small enough he saw the exact moment when surprise jolted across her features.

" _What_ -Rumple!" Belle called back to him after turning about to see his figure hustling over to meet her across the parking lot. "What are you doing out here all by yourself? Are-Are you alright!"

A reply was on the tip of his metal tongue, but it disappeared when she started darting towards him too with her bag flopping against her side. In an awkward reunion the two came to a clumsy stop, near plowing straight into each other. Belle's gloved hands went out, reaching over his outstretched arms to brace against the torn wool coat covering his chest while his hands shot forward, wrapping around her waist. White puffs streamed out of her mouth from her slight loss of breath when she gazed up at him while those bright blue eyes rendered him mute.

The moon had managed to remain peeking out from beyond the clouds, giving her tied back auburn hair a silver glow like a halo placed gently around her head. Even in her puffy white coat, swaddled up to keep warm, and a nose red from the cold nipping at her he was finding himself lost in her angelic like beauty. The strange sensation from days ago when he watched her beyond the kitchen doors shot through his chest again, almost overwhelming him in need to bury his face into her hair. 

None of the recorded images in his memory bank could ever compare to seeing her alive and before him with his own eyes.

After gawking at her too long though Rumplestiltskin  aught the concern etching its way into her face, breaking him out of his stupor.

"I'm completely fine dearest-I was a bit antsy earlier, but then I thought it’d be a perfect night to practice being out on my own." The impish timbre of his voice returned in full force while he gave her a toothy smile. Part of him felt guilty for the fib, but he didn’t want to worry her over how he was feeling when she had far too much on her own plate to deal with. “As you can see I’m getting better acquainted with the outdoors, I even managed to go a bit further than we have before! Though, it seems I didn't keep a good watch over the-”

The tiny human woman gave him no time to finish as she was soon speaking in a frantic flurry. "You didn't get yourself locked outside did you? Shoot! I never stopped to think about getting you a spare key or what to do if that were to happen! I should get you a prepaid cell phone just incase-or at least a key to my apartment if worst ever was to happen! Wait! You don't even know where I live-"

Belle’s voice cut off when he placed the tip of a clawed finger against her lips.

"Now, now, calm yourself my little impatient knight! I'm completely alright, before I left I made sure the door and the security alarm would remain unlocked for my own safety. I wasn't built yesterday!" Rumplestiltskin gave an odd titter, he couldn't help but tease her, though hearing her spout never ending concerns did speed up the gears thrumming away in his chest. No one had ever come to care for him like she had, and he absolutely hated making her feel anxious for his sake. 

Pulling her lips from his finger Belle raised a brow at him, looking a bit exasperated and… Nervous?

“Of course, I shouldn't have doubted you on that since you're far more cautious than I am…You know that I just… Get uneasy at the thought of you being out here on your own like this." Belle explained, her tone low enough that the animatronic leaned more towards her unconsciously. A form of sadness was replacing her previous expression as her hands traveled from his chest to his upper arms in a soothing manner. “I’m sorry-perhaps I worry over you too much. I know you've handled yourself just fine for decades without me around. You don't need me nagging you or me to be here just so you can go out and enjoy the freedom you deserve. I'll try not to do that from now on.”

“No-that's alright, I understand where you're coming from, and I want you to know I had every intention to be back before you got here. I swear on all my parts.” The imp butted in, though he was trying his hardest not to get distracted by her gentle touches that made his throat rumble in approval. "Besides, I prefer being out here far more when you're beside me... Plants and trees make for very little company!"

He gave one of his eerie giggles, but earned one of her quirky laughs, the wondrous bell like ringing that spilled past such kissable lips.

"And I prefer being inside much more with you beside me! Avonlea's not near as interesting without its enigmatic sorcerer around for me to bother." Belle’s right hand reached up then, startling him, as she brushed the back of her wool covered fingers across his silicone cheek. Then just as swift she pulled them away, drawing them back to her chest as if he had nipped her. " ** _Ah_** _-you're freezing!_ How long have you been out here? Never mind-I don’t know how I keep forgetting you don't feel the cold like I do, but even this weather can't be good for you."

No longer distracted in his desires Rumplestiltskin’s attention diverted, taking notice that his security guard was shivering down to the tips of her boots. The wind was still raging and tugging at them both, there was even a bit of frost settled onto the ground and browning grass now. 

“Let's get you inside and warmed up, Avonlea needs a functioning night guard-not a frozen one.” Rumplestiltskin said swiftly, berating himself for a moment for not thinking about her well being before he placed one hand on the small of her back and began to lead them towards the back door. Belle followed suit without any need for further prompting and tucked herself against his side, burying her face into the ragged coat in hopes to find any warmth.

He felt even worse as he pulled her in tighter, knowing that she couldn't even find that comfort with him.

—————

For some reason Avonlea felt extra quiet that night as the pair had wandered in through the back door, even the wind’s howling was lessened by the stone walls. Now out of the cold Belle peeled herself away from Rumplestiltskin to lock up and make sure the alarm system was set before reaching into her bag. Drawing out her trusty flashlight she flicked it on, lighting up the area around them in a splotchy yellow hue.

"Alright, I'm going to go put a kettle on for tea first, in the mean time why don't you take my bag and get settled in like usual. I brought our book for us to continue reading, though I think we should do a run through the building first to help get my blood circulating-but before all that..." There was a mischievous underlay to the way her voice drifted off, leaving her mechanical companion to tilt his head owlishly at her. "I've got a special surprise for the two of us tonight.”

“A surprise you say? I’ve been very intrigued to read more of that novel, but now you have my upmost attention!” Rumplestiltskin grinned-rotten teeth peering out of his maw, as he took her outstretched bag and slung it over his shoulder. “Just don't keep me waiting too long dearest… I might expire from the- **anticipation!** "A sneaky digit gave her a poke in the ribs for effect, causing Belle to squeak out loud in response.

The security guard shot him a good-natured yet unamused glare, one he returned with a wiggle of his segmented fingers in a playful taunt. After another attempt to prod her, leading to Rumplestiltskin getting his hand smacked and feigning hurt, the two parted ways with him headed towards her office while Belle made her way to the break room. When her receding footsteps grew faint against the checkered floor, letting him know he was more or less alone, some of his former sorrow crept back in. 

Here his security guard was once more bringing ‘a surprise’ for the two of them to enjoy, meanwhile he... Still had nothing prepared or even thought of to give her while the strange human holiday grew closer at hand.

Desperate to not have his sullen mood ruin their evening the animatronic shook his head and tightened his hinged jaw in hopes to keep it at bay. 

A pleasant few hours together was the least he could give her.

Upon reaching her office door he flicked on the light and made himself at home in their snug shared space. Placing her heavy bag on her desk he went about shrugging off the ragged coat, which kept getting stuck around his shoulder mechanics-the blasted thing, before hanging it back up in the small closet. He turned to leave and go to his tiny sanctuary to retrieve his normal and more befitting leather one, but ended up stopping short halfway through the doorway. With a light clatter of parts the animatronic turned and slunk back towards the desk all while eying Belle’s bag intently.

It was clear his noble knight was the one known for having an insatiable curiosity, but now it seemed that nature of hers was rubbing off on him in light of this new mystery. Rumplestiltskin's crafty hands fumbled with his few remaining vest buttons as he fought with himself on what to do, but In the end his growing interest won out. Seconds later he was rummaging inside her bag-searching for their book of course… 

And yes, this special surprise.

He easily found the classic they were still reading, ‘The Phantom of the Opera’, but set it aside when he dived back in and withdrew an eye-catching wrapped package. The paper was white and red stripped, typical Christmas colors he knew well enough, but with a quick glance over it he found it had no name or note attached. Rumplestiltskin squinted his odd eyes as he held the gift before him and began to test its weight, shaking it gently to hear if there was a noise while wondering as to what it might be. Nothing else inside Belle’s never ending bag seemed to be this 'surprise' other than this... So, with his decency momentarily forgotten, his fingers pinched the corner of the package to tear it just a tiny bit and get a glimpse inside…

However, he got a surprise of his own when there was the sudden sound of a throat clearing from right behind him.

Rumplestiltskin's eyebrows flung up on high their tracks, and he whipped himself around to be greeted to the sight of Belle standing in the doorway.

“I tried to be quick, but it seems you couldn’t wait for me to get back before riffling around in my stuff. I should have seen that coming.” Belle stated with her coat draped over one arm, sporting her usual business uniform and a smug smile pulled about her lips. Rumplestiltskin grinned sheepishly at being caught, but then the young woman stepped forward and snatched the gift from his hands without fair warning. She wrapped it up in her arms as if to protect it from the beast whose gaze remained pinned on it. “I met Henry and his mother Regina yesterday out in town before me and Ruby went out on our Christmas shopping trip. He said this was to make up for his little escapade into Avonlea, but it’s actually our Christmas gift he got for the… Um, both of us.”

Rumplestiltskin's strange eyes jumped back up to her as he was taken further off guard by her words. “He got that… For me too?”

Those lips of hers pinched together, leaving her looking at him like she couldn't believe what he'd just said. “Of course he included you, he cares about you and you’re his friend just as much as me. I went and got him something in return later that day from the both of us-and yes, it’s too late to argue I already put your name on the tag.”

“But still-I should give the boy something in return if he went out of his way for me! I mean... I don't know what I could do for him either... Ah! This human holiday is going to give me a fatal error!” The animatronic cried, feeling more stressed out than before now that he had another human being kind enough to gift him something.

Grinding his jagged teeth together and digging his claws in the sleeves of his silk shirt he started to wrack his system once more for a solution for both these problems. Despite beings busy in his thoughts he didn't miss seeing Belle plop down on the couch with that package in hand. Out of the corner of his optics he watched her mimic his earlier actions while she looked the present over. A loud theatric gasp fell from his lips when he saw her tuck her lip between her teeth and begin to peel back a corner, eyes full of untamed intrigue. 

“Hey! Here you are tearing into it after just berating me! Don't we have to wait till we have our Christmas to open that?”

"Hmmm... Normally I'd say yes since it’s tradition to open gifts on Christmas Day, but I'm too curious over what he got us myself, so we'll break the rules.” Belle explained, gazing up at him from the gift before patting the cushion next to her with a mischievous smirk. “Just this once mind you.”

“I’m starting to think I’m becoming quite the bad influence on you.” Rumplestiltskin snickered as he sat down beside her, taking note just how she scooted closer to him so that their legs pressed up against each other.

"Don't I know it! And since you’re my partner in crime you’re going to help me.” His knight-a bit dishonorable tonight, gave a soft laugh before she put the gift between them so they could both unwrap it. The act warmed his cold parts further, but he allowed her most of the honors as she began to dig into the wrapping paper with gusto. Together they tore it apart, and the scraps fluttered down and crinkled loudly as what lay inside was soon revealed to them.

And honestly, he should have expected it.

"Oh-Oh... Wow... This is a pretty old looking collection. I've never seen one quite like it before..." There was a sort of reverence lacing Belle's voice, bringing out a bit more of her accent, as she trailed her finger tips over the old worn book. 

Indeed, it was a book-more like a tome, that looked as if it been taken right out of the subject scrawled across the front cover. 'ONCE UPON A TIME: A Collection of Fairytales' it read with the text done in embroidered gold while the rest of the book was dark brown aged leather-finished with a heavy binding keeping it all in place. Henry had done well picking this out for even this was an enchanting thing even to the animatronic. But, it was even more enchanting for him to watch his companion's face as she looked it over if it was a lost lover or some cherished relic.

"Ah, a book. I should have seen that coming a mile away, though it being fairytales was a nice touch." A smile tugged at the corner of Rumplestiltskin's mouth before he reached over and opened the front cover from Belle's hands. Pages of images and text flashed by, spilling sluggishly over each other-a girl with a red cloak in a forest, a beautiful glass slipper, a woman dropping a bitten apple, and a knight facing an imposing dark dragon. Yet, his finger stopped flipping through when they landed on a page that contained a wonderful drawing of a large grand spinning wheel set before heaps of fine straw. It looked almost real-like he could reach out and send it whirling around and around like how he used to years ago in the dead of night... Loosing himself-who and what he was, to rhythmic motion.

Instead all he felt was the loss for the wheel he once had rise up in him, giving him a mournful expression though he tried to keep it at bay. How long had it been since his wheel had been removed-more than likely destroyed, altogether? It still hurt so deeply, that not even that comfort had been left him all these years... It was just another of the many things taken from… Him…

Strange…

For some reason this image itself-not just the sight of spinning wheel, was so striking... 

Or was it because this... Book...

Rumplestiltskin felt his wires begin to squirm again the longer he looked at the book and its pages. As if hoping it would give him the answers for the questions he didn’t realize he had he stared at it with an unwavering gaze.

Had he... Once seen something... Similar?

Out of the blue warnings began to pop up inside the machinery in his skull, making his metal fingers twitch as the pages and book slipped from under them. Rumplestiltskin could hardly make a sound of anguish from the noise starting to rise up in his skull, programs and protocols initiating themselves against his will, the familiar sounds of crying and screaming mixed in with the clutter of code.

**(01-A: *CRITICAL SYSTEM ERROR. INTERFERENCE-44. &EMORY BA#K ERROR. ZOSO|PROTOCOL IN STANDBY.)**

_('Awww-please-one more time!')_

That voice-he knew that voice didn't he-

"Rumple-what's wrong?"

_(‘Alright-I'll read it just one more time-')_

Who was that-who-could’ve-

**(01-A: INTERFERENCE CONTAINED. ZOSO|PROTOCOL INITIATING MEMORY BANK REPAIR. REPAIR COMPLETE.)**

Just as quick as they’d started the foreign noises stopped, leaving only the usual buzzing alongside the crackle of his thoughts.

_"Rumple!"_

Rumplestiltskin blinked a few times, becoming aware that Belle's worried voice was ringing in his auditory sensors, before craning his plated neck towards her. Her wide blue eyes peered at him beneath dark lashes, and he felt his humility worsen at that sheer concern for him that resided there. "Oh-I'm sorry Belle-I, uh... I'm actually not sure what just happened to me there-I think I just had another glitch of sorts. But..." He mumbled, his hands kneading against themselves as he hid behind the veil of his coiled hair. "It's strange... I feel like I've seen something just like this before-this book I mean."

That voice he just heard sounded just like that boy's from the tape-the other he wasn’t sure about at all, but had any of it been real? Or something imaginary constructed inside a broken machine?

"This book seems familiar to you?" Belle eased from her tense perch on the cushion beside him, yet the somber expression taking up her soft features remained. Careful to not startle him she spoke in a quiet tone, her voice barely reaching the corners and nooks of her little office. "We know now that you have missing memories-many of them I think... And it makes me wonder if this means you had something similar happen to you before, after all you were programmed to be a fairytale character yourself. It’s possible you've had to act out stories for some one else as test runs before ending up in Avonlea... Perhaps, to the young boy you said you once knew."

Rumplestiltskin stiffened at the realization of what Belle said could mean for him-it made perfect sense. ZOSO had written down in his only letter to Mr. Getto that he had created Rumplestiltskin/01-A himself, which meant he must have put it through rigorous points of construction and testing. Perhaps the boy had been a means to an end for the research and development of a thing meant to entertain children-or whatever it was he was meant to do… But why remove his memories of the boy then? What purpose did it serve to put him back at square one with no experience to fall back upon as he interacted with the world?

It obviously hadn't helped him in the long run...

The imp crossed his arms in agitation, and huffed out an inhuman sigh at the complicated mystery that was his past. 

"I agree at the idea that ZOSO would’ve tested my ability to entertain with an actual child before handing me off for a few measly dollars.  _But_ -the only fairytales I know by heart or can remember since my activation are the old programmed stage-shows and the story my persona was based on." Belle's eyes flew wide open as he leaned towards her abruptly, hands flourishing about upon the high pitched note of his sing song voice.  _"Today I brew, tomorrow I bake, And then the Prince's child I will take! For no one knows my little game, That Rumplestiltskin is my name!"_  His typical tittering ensued after, making Belle's lips curl up in a pleasant manner-the concern from before fading away to his delight.

“Hmmm… When I think about it… Since you said this book seemed familiar maybe if we read these stories you might be able to recall more of this memory you just experienced!" Hopeful enthusiasm radiated off the human beside hime at the her clever idea, making him marvel at her bright mind all over again. Holding the book up she began to flip through the pages for them both to look at before resting her shoulder against his own. "Fairytales-as you know, are must read classics, and they're such an important part of literature for kids to take in growing up. I loved them myself when I was little, but anything fantasy like was my favorite as you could already imagine-I think that’s why I was so drawn to Avonlea in the first place. My mother liked reading too-all sorts of books just like me, but her absolute favorite out of them all was always 'The Velveteen Rabbit’, of course it’s mine too…”

"Mother like daughter..." Rumplestiltskin hummed happily, thinking of the old book tucked away in his room as he enjoyed the weight of Belle against him. Yet, he sensed a sort of sadness-more like reminiscence, wash over her again, and it tugged at his parts as he nestled even closer to her. “She must have loved that story a lot since she made sure to pass it on to you..."

“Despite how young I was I could tell it meant a lot to her when she gave it to me… I didn't tell you this before, but when I’d gotten it for my birthday she told me someone had given it to her to help her when she was little..." Setting the hefty tome down in her lap Belle's left hand came to rest upon his right that had planted on his thigh. Her pale fingers laid upon his mottled hull, tracing around the bumps of his scales, and drawing an audible gasp from the machinery in his throat. He was glad she couldn’t see his expression full of longing since her attention was lost in the darkness of the doorway, but he had a strange feeling she was seeing something far beyond the frame.

"My mother was sick most of her life, especially as a kid, she ended up in the hospital too much and had to go through a couple of surgeries. That's a scary situation for an adult to be in let alone a child, but she said having that book she'd been given helped her through it all, helped her to be brave… But that's the wonderful thing about stories. They can help you in painful times or be a light to keep the darkness back, and better yet, someday they can be shared with those who need them far more..."

She moved, tilting her head against his shoulder to look up at him with sunny sky colored eyes brimming in an emotion he couldn’t discern. Those dainty digits laced over and through Rumplestiltskin’s frightening ones then, almost in a protective manner-like she was claiming them as her own. It left his hinged jaw gaping open like always at the complete contrast of them that looked so startling-so bizarre, and yet… So right. 

Part of him wanted so desperately to believe she was touching him and looking at him with the same desires he had towards her, full of longing and want, dreaming of being held by him as he wanted to be held and kissed by-

No-she couldn't be-he was confusing himself again! Feeling things that didn't exist in reality for a woman who could never feel them for something like him! He shouldn't let this be happening, she shouldn’t be holding onto him or near him even if he was the one trembling beneath her. Just not too long ago his claws had torn through the trunk of a tree with the littlest of ease! Ripping through flesh was even easier for him-his jaw and teeth alone could shatter through bone with a single snap!

He could hurt her one day… 

Even if he didn’t want to…

Yet, his awful appearance, his monstrosity, or the thought of his terrible past had never kept her from reaching out to him, comforting him, or being near him. Not now, and not since the moment they met that she in all her fear had reached up and brushed his face just like she had done minutes ago. Through out it all she had come to truly care for a mechanical man… She had come to be his friend when he had first horrified her so and had kissed him while knowing he was artificial just like the mistletoe that had hung over their heads…

And despite his unnatural nature he had come to care deeply for her, every little perfect and imperfect part. 

Taking a chance, Rumplestiltskin rested his fore head against her own as his jittery hand curled up over hers and held it in his grasp. Her auburn locks and his wiry coils were nearly intertwined, and their bodies were pressed close enough together he could sense the sudden quickness of her breath jostle him ever so slightly.

_“What did I ever do to deserve getting to be beside you?”_ The words ghosted over his lips, and whatever shame he felt for allowing himself this touch was brushed aside for the moment as his eyes closed shut. _“Not a day goes by where I’m not thankful out of everyone in the world it was you who ended up with this odd job. Getting to know you and learn more about you-just being with yo no matter if were reading books or just simply talking and walking together… It’s been the happiest I’ve ever been in my entire life…”_

Like the pathetic thing he was he was full out trembling now, lost in the overpowering emotions he felt for her. Dangerous words surged from deep within the animatronic’s code, pleading to be released and made to known to the world-to her.

_“Rumple…”_ The beauty before him whispered back, her voice so tiny he wondered for a moment if she’d even spoken at all. A brief sensation of pressure pushing against his nose alerted him that she moved closer to him. In the darkness of his eye lids he could see those sky blue eyes, strong and yet gentle, peering straight into him. From the sound of her breath puffing against his face his rigid form tensed, while he grew excited-hopeful and down right terrified at the image of her lips mere inches from his.

It all broke apart when a shriek echoed through the walls, breaching the security office. 

Rumplestiltskin flinched back, frightened by the sudden noise, and the echoing cry had him flying off the couch, slipping free from Belle’s hand and onto the toes of his boots. His security guard gave a shocked gasp at his sudden movement, but his mind was a whirlwind of thought as his protective nature rose up, forcing him to hunch and crouch like a startled beast backed into a corner. 

‘Someone is-in-in Avonlea! NO-NO-NO-Protect Belle-get them out-GET THEM OUT-who-what is here-why-keep Belle safe-get THEM OUT-GO AWAY-DON’T TOUCH HER-’

“Rumple calm down! There’s nothing wrong!” Belle called to him, but he merely pried open his terrible maw, near about to run streaking out into the hall screeching-more than ready to keep his sanctuary and his loved one safe from any harm.

Taking a step forward, ready to lunge and unleash the buried chaos inside of him, he instead found a hefty book rise up and gently pop him in the head. Shocked himself the animatronic took a wobbly step back, looking at his security guard in a bit of a daze with his hands out to help evade another possible blow. Belle stood before him and eyed him with a tired stare, though her cheeks were a bit red like her ridiculous bow tie, before lowering the book. 

“You silly man-that’s just the kettle I put on in the break room! No one’s snuck in or anything so you don’t need to work yourself up like that…” Instantly he froze in place and listened closer, only to grow mortified to find it was in fact just her kettle wheezing out steam and ready to help serve a cup of hot fresh tea. The realization seemed to actually register with Belle in that moment too for she was pushing the fairy tale book into his raised hands. “Shoot! I forgot all about it myself!”

“M-m-my-my-my forgetful night guard is trying to burn the place down!" Rumplestiltskin sputtered in forced trickster like glee, though his mind was still a bit rattled from the flood of fear and… How close he and Belle had just been. Oh god-he had almost whispered to her just how he felt all while touching her and forcing her to endure the desires of a disgusting beast!

A sea of shame rose up inside the hollow of his chest, near having him apologize for hid advances, but his beauty was already darting straight past him to the door.

“O-Okay, I’ve got to go take care of that and then-I’ll be right back real quick!” Belle spoke back up after coming to a stop to glance back at him with a strange forlorn expression in her countenance. Focusing back on her there was no denying that her body was trembling slightly as one hand braced itself against the other arm in a defensive stance… Was she this way because of him and his nearness moments ago? He didn’t know-was terrified to know, but her voice sounded normal, the usual optimistic creature he’d come to admire when she spoke. “Hey, when I get back let's go on a run and then we'll continue reading our book-and maybe we'll read a story or two from Henry's book after a while. That sound like a good plan? Well, so long as you can be patient this time.”

“That s-sounds wonderful... And I might be able to wait this time-for you.” Rumplestiltskin managed to quip while he tightened his hands on the book to stop them from reaching out for her and not letting go. 

He’d touched her enough with the vile things.

After flashing him a quick forced smile she left, her feet pitter pattering down the hallway and tapering off shortly after. Rumplestiltskin stood there silently in his shock, before he rose both his hands and started to smack himself about the head with the book, silently cursing himself for all that he was and his loss of sense. When the anxiety shooting through his cords finally calmed down enough he shuffled back to the couch and curled onto it, hugging his torn leather clad knees to his chest. There he sat with the tome huddled to his chest, trying his best to fight against the sensations inside him telling him to go running off to hide away in the darkness like the coward he was.

This had to stop-it was starting to get out of hand. Even if his intentions weren’t to harm Belle or hurt her in anyway he was scaring her despite how she said nothing and continued to act like everything was fine between them. Why couldn’t things just remain simple! Why couldn’t he simply go back to the way it was before-before love had ever entered the equation?

‘Because there in lies the problem…’ He muttered wordlessly, giving a broken little laugh of self disgust.

From the beginning he had started to love her. It had been innocent and not at all the same as he felt now, but he had been drawn to her since the moment he'd seen her on the front stage spilling her story and showing him a side of humanity he had not seen before. Then he had grown to care for her further- _deeper_ , when she fell crashing into his arms after such a silly stunt with that damn swivel chair and lightbulb along with her obvious concern for him from his following fit. All together had given his non existent heart away when she'd pinned him down in puddles and muck that sad lonely night and let him have her precious book that was so dear to her...

_‘Better yet, someday they can be shared with who needs them far more…’_

His eyes jumped down to the book intwined in his arms, and he brushed his thumbs over the worn leather cover.

'I've never even repaid her for that book and her kindness either... I’ll never understand why she let a broken old machine keep something so dear to her. _Why?_ Why does she give me so much when I can do nothing in return?’ The imp wondered to himself, feeling more ashamed than ever before. Yet, through his lashing emotions something suddenly…Clicked. 

Which forced him to sit back up and stare bug eyed at the object in his hands. 

It finally hit him.

“Of course!” He whispered in awe. “What I could do for my dearest has been right in front of me this entire time.”

It was so laughable he'd never thought of it before! He’d teased her about doing something similar-but this was different! It was-it was perfect! There was a gift he could give her that would mean something-one that he could make!

All his fears and sorrow vanished without a trace in his excitement near about to burst from his hollow body but was announced by the twitches throughout his scaly face. The darkness within him was blown away as he shot through the air, quickly jumping and skipping about the room. Holding the hefty tome outstretched the golden-green imp danced with it as if it was a partner, his graceful feet sweeping and dipping it about. Utter joy encompassed Rumplestiltskin’s features as silly noises and bizarre electronic sounds crackled out loud from his throat.

"Oh I have so much to do! I need lots of supplies-but I can get them from the kids entertainment room, and there's some in Mr. Getto's office as well as the party rooms. Wait-I can't just start working on it while she's still here!" The mechanical man exclaimed, bringing the book swiftly up to his mouth to stifle the rather loud noise he was making. "I'll have to wait till she's gone which means I’ve only got a couple of days left, but in the meantime I can figure out how best to go about it!”

Mid jig Rumplesiltskin heard the sound of Belle approaching down the hallway which had him hastily sitting back down on the couch. Hopefully she wasn’t going to catch onto this sudden change in him with how his poor metal body was rattling with sheer excitement. Not needing her finding out before hand what he was planning Rumplestiltskin tugged at his silk sleeves and the collar of his vest as if fearing she might see it in his overall appearance before propping himself up as the most composed, content, and patient creature he could.

Though thinking about it-how he was finally going to be able to repay Belle in some way and give her something, made a small laugh bubble up and out of him that was more human sounding than normal.

"Alright, I hear some laughter-the mischievous kind, what have you gotten yourself into this time?" Belle’s voice drifted past the door way just as her head and hand carrying a mug full of tea peered around the corner. There she eyed him suspiciously in a role reversal of the two which made him titter in glee even more.

"Oh nothing at all! Now-why don't we skip doing a run for now and let you sit down to drink that tea. I'm dying to read more of that novel, and look! I've waited ever so patiently!" Of course he was honestly eager to read more of this with her, but the near vibration bouncing around through him tonight was for something he'd never felt before.

Something he never would have imagined either. 

For a moment she looked almost as if she could see straight through him, but then the young woman simply shrugged her shoulders and joined him on the couch. She brought the novel with her as she sat down right next to him before taking a sip of her steamy tea with a content sigh. After that the time ticked by like normal as the hours passed, much to Rumplestiltskin’s dismay, as they took turns reading this interesting and morbid tale of love and horror (a pleasant mixture much to his chagrin). Yet, every now and then his gaze would pry itself from his companion and shoot over to the clock above the desk while each minute that passed filled him with the more of that hopeful buzzing. When Belle took notice of his sudden bout of energy he simply joked and said it was taking too long to get to the good part.

In a way it was true…

For the first time ever Rumplestiltskin found he couldn’t wait for six o' clock to roll around.

—————

Staring out the window Belle waited, and waited, wondering when the sky would finally break and let the flakes drift down over Storybrooke... Yet they still refused to fall.

It was starting to feel beyond hopeless, and not about the snow.

Laying down, tucked in her warm bed, and gazing out her apartment’s thin window to the grey sky did nothing to help her mind formulate any new ideas. Reading in her chair in the living room with a cup of her favorite tea or cleaning up the building dust layering itself along the shelves and furniture didn’t ease her thoughts either. It was when she reached the point of pacing up and down her hallway in her PJ’s that Belle realized she needed to get out of the house or she was probably going to loose it.

Despite how cold it was outside-the wicked wind hadn’t relented, she didn’t waste any time to get dressed and out the door. Sporting her usual coat she put on some leggings and a dark winter dress, keeping her head warm with a knit hat with matching scarf, though the moment she went outside the chill hit her regardless of her precautions. The library beneath her apartment that she passed was dark and empty when stopped briefly to peek through its frosty windows, so she knew she couldn't go in and browse through the books to help stimulate her creativity. Ms. Potts, the town's faithful librarian and a growing acquaintance of hers, was out of the state for the holidays, and as Belle walked past the other stores and shops downtown she found most of them were closed too. It made sense in a small town like this since tomorrow was Christmas Eve, but for her today was her last chance to hopefully find something for her beloved imp and their own celebration later that night. 

‘Now if I could just figure out what that was! I’m still no closer and I’m running out of time-I have to be at my father’s for dinner so I only have a few hours.’ Belle thought to herself, grimacing and crossing her arms over each other. But thinking of gifts brought her back to the wonderful present Henry had gotten her and Rumplestiltskin, making her smile to herself behind the collar of her puffy coat.

The book had been lovely, and she had to give him credit at figuring out how to please her easy enough. More than that though, the boy had found something perfect for the duo-something that they both had enjoyed and bonded over despite its age, wear, and tear. A soft giggle escaped her, creating a wisp of smoke like white when she thought to how her animatronic had nitpicked and mocked some of the fairy tales they had read together the last two nights. Cinderella had been the least of his favorites-he’d complained the whole way through, and he didn’t care much for Snow White-saying it was far too predictable. Hansel and Gretel had interested him the most out of the three because of how morbid it was, but regardless he had enjoyed himself despite his quips and mild rambling.

At the moment the hardback full of fairytales remained with her fairytale like imp for safe keeping till the next shift so they could read more together, and hopefully stimulate the memory he had a glimpse of… Though, part of the bookworm had a good feeling he’d more than likely cave in and read it on his own. She hadn’t failed to notice he’d been acting a bit strange this week… Since Monday night he’d been full of boundless energy and more playful than how he normally was-that or he would stare off into space all while smiling to himself as if she was constantly saying something he found rather funny.

Not to mention there was the moment when…

Belle’s flush cheeks burned brighter at the still vibrant memory of what he’d said with them snug against one another-the words he’d spoken after he had pulled her close to him and pressed his forehead against hers. That alone had been enough to send her heart skyrocketing away, but then there were his lips that had only been inches apart from hers again, almost pleading her to place her own upon them… She’d been quite ready to oblige since she had leaned forward by impulse-drawn to him and his touch, wanting nothing more than to kiss him deeper and get a true taste of her mechanical companion-

‘Oh my god! Belle stop this right now! This infatuation of yours is getting way out of hand!’ The beauty swore internally, having to physically stop herself on the sidewalk altogether to try and compose herself.

Yet, thinking of what Rumplestiltskin had said in that voice that sounded so human like made her toes curl from the blissful warmth that rushed through her insides. He had told her he was thankful for her presence, and while she knew he felt she was his dearest companion-as he was very much hers, hearing him say just how much she meant to him… He said he was beyond glad that she had come into his life… To have gotten to know her and be with her, that there was no one else he’d rather have work there than her…

Pure happiness dappled her features while her desires for Rumplestiltskin blossomed inside the cage of her ribs.

But then she was brought back just as quickly to her previous frustrations her mind kept returning to.

‘In the mean time I need to remain focused! I’m never going to figure out what to make or get him if I’m constantly day dreaming about him!’ The young woman berated herself, taking each step with her cozy boots a little more forceful despite not knowing where she was even going. An abrupt idea hit her, since she’d been thinking about Henry’s gift and how perfect it’d been earlier. Something similar would be just what she’d need to get Rumple-something that other people might not be able to appreciate or care for, but something he would find perfect, to cherish and love in that unique way of his. 

Coming to a stop at the corner of an intersection downtown she tried to recollect where the boy had said he’d gotten it from. More than likely with her bad luck they’d already be closed for the holiday, but still, it wouldn’t hurt for her to try.

Out of the blue a car horn nearby went off, starling the security guard a bit as she raised her head to look around (worried for a second she’d somehow walked into the street in a dreamy daze). Seeing as there was nothing wrong and that she was planted firmly on the sidewalk Belle relaxed, but was soon distracted by something hanging from across the street. 'Mr. Gold: Pawnbroker & Antiques Dealer' the sign read over the simple looking outward appearance of the shop, and the beauty grinned, remembering that was exactly the place Henry had gone to. 

'They might still be open today-if I hurry maybe I can look inside and find something-anything at all!' Excitement shot through her limbs, propelling her forward and across the pavement right to the building. The lights were on above the items and antiques displayed in the front windows, but inside the interior was a bit too dark to really see anything. Hanging from the front door though was a sign that read 'OPEN' in big classic letters which made the beauty gush out a white misty breath of relief. Without hesitating she bounded through the unlocked door, rattling the bell above to alert there was a new customer. 

However she could barely focus on looking for anyone working there when her eyes caught the magnitude of things all around her in the rustic but charming interior of the shop. Her wide blue eyes slowly worked their way over cabinets, shelves, and walls lined with a variety of old or antique objects from assorted countries, uses, and ranging values. There were old wooden crafted clocks, sets of matching china within glass cases, a set of rather disturbing dolls, even a glass made mobil in the shape of colorful unicorns hanging from the ceiling. The more she spun around, spinning like a top, the more things revealed themselves-aged vases, classic and one of a kind paintings, knickknacks, globes, statues-it soon reached the point she almost felt too overwhelmed by it all. Where was she to begin in a place like this?

Luckily some assistance arrived for her soon as she heard the sound of footsteps approaching. A man pushed his way past some curtains leading from a room near the back, looking a little surprised that anyone was in today at all-she bet. The man was someone she didn't recognize or was familiar with at all, but he appeared every bit like he belonged in a shop such as this.

“Hello, welcome to my shop, and how may I be of service to you today young lady?" The man politely said, his accent-British she was sure, carried a somehow far more mannerly tone than anyone she'd ever heard from anyone else in Storybrooke. He was only a little taller than her, and a little heavy set too, but he was impeccably dressed in matching dark slacks and a vest with the distinct chain of a pocket watch leading from it to his pocket. Though, the most notable thing about him was his peculiar mustache that sort of reminded her of the minute hands of a clock.

Belle felt herself drifting off again and spoke up before wandering a bit further into the shop. “Hello, I hope I'm not intruding. I know it’s the day before Christmas, but the sign said you were open and I've been near everywhere through Boston and Storybrooke looking for a gift. You’re not the ‘Mr. Gold’ I presume?”

"That's alright. I wasn’t expecting much today, but the shop is still open for a few more hours." The dark haired man gave her a polite smile and motioned for her to come closer to the back counters as her eyes skimmed across the various things as they passed. “I don't believe we ever met, but I think I've seen you around town before. Excuse me-where are my manners, I’m Mr. Worth the owner of this pawnshop-as for the original Mr. Gold, he hasn’t been the shop owner here in a little over forty years.”

The bookish beauty grinned back. “It's a pleasure to meet you Mr. Worth-I'm Belle French. I just moved back into Storybrooke about five months ago, you might actually know my father Moe French who runs the town's flower shop."

“Yes, I’ve met your father before-though I didn’t know he had a child, but what brings you in today Ms. French?" Mr. Worth inquired, settling himself contently behind the glass counters near an old till register and what appeared to be his book keeping he’d been working on.

"I've been looking for something extra special to give to a friend of mine, but I haven't found the perfect thing to give him yet. A young boy we both know got us a lovely book from here, and so I thought perhaps you'd be my last hope in finding something similar.” Belle explained as she moved a hand to gesture to the shop, yet she felt a bit flustered at how desperate and vague she sounded.

The man gave her a short studious look over before nodding to himself, seeming to reach some conclusion.“You must be the security guard Henry Mills mentioned when he was last here a few days ago. The boy stops by here quite often, and I’m very glad to hear you liked the book, I see I am in the company of one with good tastes. I have plenty more rare editions of novels and various others if you’re wanting to browse through them-”

“That’s alright. My friend likes books too, not near as much as me, but he would tease me to no end if I got him one for Christmas.” Belle shook her head and gave a slight laugh before reaching a hand up to tuck some of her runaway hair back behind her ear.

“Alright-no books then, why don’t I just start off by showing you through the whole place? I've got most of it upstairs, but there are some interesting pieces down stairs where we do repairs and refurbishing too for furniture and the like.”

Belle happily took Mr. Worth’s offer, and the two began to peruse through his shop as he lead her to items he thought she might find worthwhile. Getting to explore further in his store felt more like she was navigating through a small museum all while growing more confused on what exactly she should be looking for. The shelves in his back room contained a good amount of books that just about distracted her from her objective, but she steered clear while the shop owner lead her along. Still, it was surprising how much was here-the inside was not what she’d always expected after all those years passing by the shop door. 

Mr. Gold’s had always somehow blended into the the normal scenery of Storybrooke even when Belle had been growing up in the small sea side town. She’d always been interested in going inside but never had motivated herself to do so which she was sorely disappointed in herself having done so now. There had to be stories and tales to almost everything in here, for this was beyond what she’d seen before from most other pawnshops-even in Boston.

And yet, the more she looked the more she couldn’t help but imagine what it’d be like if Rumplestiltskin was beside her. The image of him was as clear as day because he’d be gawking at everything too as his orb like amber eyes studied everything they could be in awe and disbelief. A humorous thought hit her on how the animatronic’s own tiny space was like a smaller version of Mr. Gold’s with its overflowing makeshift shelves. His hideout was full of various objects that had worth to him-and a few to herself, with meanings and purposes that others would never understand. Thinking of this fueled the massive urge to take him here someday despite not knowing how she could ever achieve such a thing-but for now she had to focus on her present plan… 

Though, that plan wasn’t working out so well. After browsing through the whole upstairs and chatting with the shop owner for almost half an hour she felt no more closer to figuring out what to get her animatronic, but Mr. Worth seemed determined to help. 

“I can see nothing’s caught your eye, but I’m positive a solution for you is here. Why don’t you tell me a little about him, that might help.” The older man inquired calmly while stroking his mustache in thought, though Belle worried she might be frustrating him at this point-he was so composed it was hard to tell. Leading her to a set of stairs, and the two began to make their way down to the basement as he continued. “Is there anything he specifically likes, or does he have some hobbies, interests?”

“Well… He’s starting to learn how to sew now, and he's got a knack for showmanship-he used to be an entertainer of sorts, but other than that... He doesn't quite have a hobby…” The words stumbled out in a giant mess as the two took the stairs into the dark room bellow. How could she explain the interest and life of Rumplestiltskin without making him sound beyond bizarre? It wasn’t like he could do much since he was a animatronic trapped inside Avonlea-even in the past he had so very little and so little to do than walk around and occupy himself with his own company. The thought of all those years he spent alone, bored, forgotten, rekindled the fire in her chest that she had to get him something worthwhile. “I’ve only known him for a few months now, but he’s done so much for me in his own special way and I want to return the favor in any way I can…”

The heavy darkness creeping near her disappeared with a flick of a light switch as Mr. Worth gave a slight hum in further thought. Stepping into the basement Belle gazed about, but not nearly as curiously as before, her mind once again slipping past the walls and back to Avonlea and her imp… She did notice there were some larger pieces down here like the shop owner explained a while earlier, as well as two desks and equipment for repairing and patching up items. It looked like she was further out of luck since there was mostly damaged antiques and furniture down here, and her heart ached at once again having come so close but not close enough-

Wait… There was something…

Belle’s blue eyes steadily grew wider as she stared at a darker corner of the room, catching the round shape of something behind some objects covered in a tarp. Mr. Worth seemed to have noticed her sudden change in disposition, but she couldn’t hear what he was asking her about as she was far too drawn to that corner. For some reason a beautiful drawing in the book Henry had gotten her was niggling right at the back of her mind, but her instinct and natural curiosity had her scooting aside what appeared to be a small dresser beneath the tarp to look beyond it.

And when she did, she stared at the object in amazement.

Before her was a spinning wheel. 

It wasn’t fairly large like the one in the book involving the story of sleeping beauty, nor the imp’s in the similar fairy tale. Overall the tool was modest, worn, a bit out of shape for there were small cuts in the wheel portion along the edges, and the paint that once had adorned it had been stripped exposing the old dark walnut wood. Running her dainty fingers over the spinning wheel’s spindles, feather like as if worried they might break, she could see that there was some craft put into it. Yet, it’d been hidden away, tucked back behind other objects that held far more value and worth, and she could imagine everyone else who’d ever come in had glanced right over it.

To her, it was beyond beautiful, reminding her so much of her special someone she could practically see him sitting on a stool, his large metal hands tugging the wood round and round.

It was perfect.

"Why didn't I think of this sooner! A spinning wheel!” Belle cried out in joy, her heart battering away beneath her coat and her smile flickering from the sheer excitement flowing through her. “This-this is just, everything I’ve been looking for and I didn’t even know it!” Remembering that she was not alone in that dim room the beauty turned about on her heels, feeling a bit embarrassed but far too happy with this discovery as she looked to Mr. Worth. “Rum- _My friend,_ used to have a spinning wheel similar to this a long time ago-I mean he never learned how to use it but it was very sentimental to him, though he lost it due to-housing transitions.”

The older man looked at her a bit confused, no doubt her wanting this had been completely unexpected, but he seemed intrigued by her reaction too. “You don't hear people who take up spinning too often anymore. Normally I only sell this sort of item to far away collectors or local museums, but since this one isn’t an antique I could make an exception. No one’s showed any interest in it before.”

Belle had grown more intrigued herself at his previous statement however, there was something kind of strange about this spinning wheel in particular. No one made them anymore for production use unless commissioned, it was an out of practice tool for the most part, so if the one he had here wasn’t some historical piece or family heirloom… Then were did it come from?

Seeming to sense her question without her even having to speak Mr. Worth moved from her side and towards one of his desks covered in various small utensils and supplies. There he grabbed a rolodex that contained numerous notecards inside, probably for keeping track of what he had.

“This one use to be a display somewhere I can’t remember off the top of my head, but I can confirm that this spinning wheel does work. I made it a refurbishing side project to keep me occupied in the slower months and have been fixing it up.” His fingers came to a stop at one notecard, and he whipped it out of the slot before holding it up before himself. Squinting his eyes, looking as if he were in need of reading glasses, he scanned the card as he continued to talk, though Belle had remained planted right next to the wheel, almost fearing it might up and vanish if she were to leave it. “Someone bought this at a local auction some twenty-twenty five years ago, leaving it in the back of storage down here before I found it when I was reorganizing after purchasing the shop. There’s quite a bit of merchandise here that’s from the original owner’s-Ah! Here it is. Just like I thought, that spinning wheel came from that place you work at, what’s it called-Avonlea right?”

Belle couldn’t answer him, she was frozen in place, even her breath was stolen right from her lungs at the name.

It had come from Avonlea… Twenty five years ago…

Then this was…

Glancing back at the wheel, the world a sluggish blur around her, the young woman studied the cuts edging the wheel closer. Looking at them now they did look like claw marks. They were notches made from the hand of a creature with sharp tips at the end of its digits-and there were quite a few of them, all from him- **this was his.**

After all the years he’d thought it was lost, destroyed, gone… It’d been right here in this very shop.

"How much is it?” The words came unbidden from her mouth, and the quickness seemed to startle Mr. Worth ever so slightly. For the moment Belle didn’t care, all she cared about was purchasing that wheel so that no one could somehow up and take it. It had a rightful owner and she was going to make sure it got back to him. “I’ll pay whatever you want for it, but please let me have it. I know this is strange but I really want it.”

"Well I can't quite say how much it is yet…” Mr. Worth, whose shock was still apparent, set the card back in the rolodex and closed the lid, apparently running through some calculations in his head. “I haven't configured the price since I haven't finished restoring it-there are lots of cuts and notches made into the wood that need to be patched up. It needs a varnishing too, and-”

“No-that's fine, in fact leave all of that. I'll take it just as it is!" Belle exclaimed, her face growing hot once again at knowing how odd this all had to be for him. Brushing the top of the wheel with one hand, earning a slight ‘creak’, she grinned at the knowledge that Rumplestiltskin’s hands had done just the same many times before. “I’m positive, this is it... This is... He'll love it, he'll absolutely love it. I don’t care about the cost either-all that I ask is that you please let me purchase this today so that I can pick it up as soon as I can!"

Despite not being as large as depicted in the book the wheel was still going to be cumbersome to get in her car and there was no way she could carry it all the way back to her apartment either. Besides, she wanted Rumplestiltskin to see it right before his eyes tonight-to finally see that something had returned to him and that not everything he had could just slip through his fingers… Imagining the utter joy she knew would break out across his face at the sight of his long lost wheel made her own smile grow painfully wide. The biggest it’d been in a long time.

"Alright, let me just figure out what my expenses have been so far, though don't expect me to get it wrapped and packaged before the end of the day.” Mr. Worth joked, though his thin smile and cool nature didn’t seem the best equipped to deliver it. Regardless Belle approached him, taking both his hands in her own and shaking them in agreement, unable to contain her glee.

“You have yourself a deal Mr. Worth! I’m pretty sure I’ve got enough money on me so I can pay you right now if you need me to.”

Giving a slight laugh Mr. Worth slipped his hands from Belle’s before reaching to his vest pocket to retrieve his pocket watch and check the time. “The shop will only be open a little while longer, so I don't think you have to worry about anyone else making a grab for it Ms. French. This seems pretty important to you though, so come along then, let’s head back up and get this all sorted out.”

The shop owner turned, heading back up towards the stairs, and Belle followed after with a skip in each step. However, when she reached the bottom of the steps she glanced back to the lonely looking spinning wheel sitting in the corner, begging to be taken home with her. The smile gracing her face grew smaller as she flicked off the light for Mr. Worth and allowed the room to fall back into inky darkness. Leaving it there felt somewhat an awful thing to do, it’d spent too much time stuck there in the dark with no one to pull its wheel or enjoy its soft sound as it spun… The beauty shook her head at herself, she knew it was a silly thought to have considering it was just a mere object with no feelings whatsoever on the matter.

But still, it wasn’t going to have to be alone for much longer. Soon it would be reunited with its oldest friend, her mechanical man would be overjoyed and touched, stunned and startled, smiling and happier than can be… 

And that she found was something she was willing to pay any price for.

The two of them returned to the shop front shortly after, getting her bill all lined up which Belle paid for just as she said she would. Her wallet was a bit lighter after the transaction, not terribly much, all she felt was relief since she know had made sure the wheel was absolutely hers to take. To give. 

However, there was still the problem of getting it out of the shop and to Avonlea for that matter. Belle’s clever mind came up with a quick solution while Mr. Worth went back down to retrieve the spinning wheel for her.

Pulling out her cell phone Belle went to call her father, but was surprised to find that he had already called her a couple of times within the last hour. Quirking a brow to herself she wondered what on earth was he needing to talk about if he called her… Twice…

The surprise she’d felt for a few seconds fell into dread.

All the previous light hearted emotions quelled as her finger slammed the call button and hefted the phone to her head. Horrible images began to flicker behind her wide eyes, outcasting Rumplestiltskin’s smiling face, the wheel, the hopes for their night tonight with the horrifying possibilities of what might have befallen her father. Why hadn’t she heard her phone ringing? Her coat must have muffled the sound-but what _had_ happened he needed to call her twice? Oh god-the hospital hadn’t called her yet so surely he wasn’t in the emergency room-but then what if he never had managed to contact them?

What if he was on the floor in his shop or apartment, alone-suffering-dying-

The ringing-more like screaming in her ears stopped along with her heart as a voice picked up on the other end. “Hello?”

“Papa! Are you okay? I just saw you called me twice-I’m so sorry I missed you.” Belle began to ramble. “I’m over at the town’s pawnshop ‘Mr. Gold’s’ and I somehow didn’t hear it go off-”

“Blue Bell-I’m alright, please don’t fret, I’m sorry if I made you worry there.” Her father butted in, and those words eased back down the frantic beat of her heart which was so unpleasant than how it was thrumming from before. Giving out a large sigh of relief Belle cradled the phone closer to her head as she leaned against one of the glass countertops. “I was just calling to make sure you were still heading over to the shop before heading off for work tonight.”

“Yeah, I’m still coming over for dinner-I have to make sure you get fed.” Belle teased, brushing back the tears brimming near her eyes she hadn’t noticed. “I’ll be there around six, now that that’s out of the way I need to talk to you about something too. I’ve bought something here at Mr. Gold’s for a friend and it’s too big for my car, and I can’t I carry it home, so I was hoping I could borrow your flower van tonight. Just for one night.” Tomorrow was Christmas Eve, he wasn’t going to need the vehicle for deliveries, and it would be easier to take the wheel over to Avonlea even if the van was bit of a hassle to drive.

“I’m not there right now-I’m dealing with some business out of town, but that’s fine, and you know where the keys are. Mind the side door though, for some reason the alarm has been going off really easy as of late when you slam it too hard. Guess that’s good for me if anyone were to try to break into it though…” Her father’s guff of a laugh always seemed to make everything better, but the way he trailed off worried her regardless. Glancing over her shoulder at a sudden sound she saw Mr. Worth returning up the stairs with the spinning wheel, but she returned back to the call.

“Are you sure you’re okay? One hundred percent?”

“I’m really alright today-I’m not feeling sick or having any chest pains… It’s… I really called to tell you that when you get here tonight we need to have a talk… Your aunt and uncle over in Washington and I have been talking the last few days, they’re helping me get things… Ready. Just incase something awful were to happen, and I told them you were off from the college till a little after the new year, but-I’ll-I’ll explain more when you get here.”

‘A talk? Get things ready?’ Belle wondered, but from the sound of it she already knew that whatever they had to discuss was not going to be pleasant. Despite the worry still hanging heavy in her bones Belle forced herself through the doubt. Her father was fine, they were just having a talk-it was what grown ups did.

It was just a shame that such happy moments only lasted so long.

“Alright… You take care okay, and as soon as you feeling anything is wrong give me a call after you make sure you’re taken care of first. Promise?” The young woman demanded, needing just a verbal acceptance so that she could feel more confident that things truly were alright.

“Of course-I promise. I’ll see you later, I love you Blue Bell.”

“I love you-bye.” Belle’s throat tightened a little bit, but she managed to keep out the tremor wanting to fill her voice. They hung up after, the line going still, and she pocketed her phone back into her coat. There were so many things going on inside her skull now, contrasting and conflicting thoughts and feelings that it was hard to describe when words were failing. Once again she remembered that she wasn’t alone though and turned to face Mr. Worth to thank him for his time. Apparently he must have missed her whole worried rant, thank goodness, but then she noticed he was completely focused on glancing towards the windows. Her blue eyes flickered over to the frosty front panes and saw for herself what was going on outside that was just so interesting.

“It’s about time, I never thought it was going to fall, then again, its been a peculiar year.” Mr. Worth commented, but Belle was a bit mesmerized, blocking out everything going on within to focus on the sight.

Small white flakes were fluttering down, being blown harshly about by the wind.

The sky had finally relented and Storybrooke was having its first snow.


	24. Chapter 24

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It’s finally the festive night Avonlea’s one of a kind animatronic and security guard have been waiting for. After making her final stop and talking to Graham Belle arrives to celebrate but seems to be holding something back. Rumplestiltskin notices as he himself tries to contain his overwhelming feelings for her from spilling out while both are more than eager to make this night one to remember…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the ridiculously long wait for an update. I've literally been writing this chapter since june, rewritten it like four to five times, and in the end had to break it up into two separate chapters cause it just wouldn't end. Thank you to all the people who've stuck around in the meantime, I seriously do love this story and plan to finish it, but this one was just so tough to write-for various spoiler filed reasons that we will find out in the second half of Belle and Rumple's Christmas together. Next chapter is also marking the (hopefully) halfway point for the story where the second half will really start to kick off into finally getting to what we've all been waiting for... Getting into the mysteries surrounding Rumplestiltskin and the true horror residing in this tale.
> 
> (I wish I could promise the next chapter is coming out soon, but I can't, I am hoping for it to be done before the end of the month though. HAPPY SISTER LOCATION RELEASE DAY BTW.)

Despite everything going on at least the snow was beautiful to behold as it continued to fall to the earth.

Through the streets, woods, and neighborhoods of Storybrooke Maine all manner of sounds were being muffled beneath the flurries and the howling wind. With it alongside the glowing decoration and rooftops adorned with Christmas lights it created such a classic winter scene, if one that was best admired behind a warm windowpane. In fact, in her journey so far she hadn’t seen a single other soul out driving the empty roads, resulting in the solitude that seemed rude for her to break. It was nights like these that the old songs during the holiday went on about though... Or as tradition stated in past down stories…

The tiny young woman standing out in it all wished nothing more than for her night to be like that.

But for Belle French things never wanted to be that simple.

_**‘BEEEEEP-BEEEEEP-BEEEEEP-’** _

“Come on-knock it off! Oh god-why does this have to happen now!” Belle grumbled aloud, her gloved hands fumbling with a set of unfamiliar keys slick from the cold. At this point she wasn't worried about the volume of her voice amidst the far louder shrieking coming from the ‘Game of Thorns’ van beside her. Yet, the alarm didn’t heed any of the young woman’s words or few choice curses as it continued to bleat towards the pitch-black sky. However, the longer it went on the more her rosy cheeks burned in growing embarrassment while she attempted to prevent the annoying cry from waking up the entire neighborhood.

After getting the driver’s door to unlock Belle hopped back into the seat, frantically searching the messy dash till she found the button seconds later. With a single push the obnoxious ringing finally broke off, returning the wintry world to its quiet slumber. In the following silence a soft sigh slipped past Belle’s lips tingling from the cold before she slumped back into the seat. She was pretty tired tonight with the many things that had happened in the last few hours-this event another to add to her list that she hadn’t planned on.

But at least this problem had been easily settled... For the meantime.

Forcing herself on the bundled up beauty jumped back out onto the snowy pavement, closed the door, and glared at the van with a rather perturbed expression. Perhaps it would be best if she avoided that side of the vehicle so what occurred wouldn’t happen again-or give her another bloody fright. Sure, her father had warned her of its peculiarities-one he should've had fixed by now, but it wasn’t like she had known just a firm press of her hand on the sliding door would’ve caused it to go off... Which she may or may not have done when her footing slipped and she almost dropped her phone. 

Her mistake perhaps, so Belle just brushed aside her irritation along with some flakes adorning her cheeks.

No longer worried about causing a ruckus she turned her attention back to the building looming behind her. It was not the castle like walls of Avonlea she was use to seeing at this time of night, but Storybrooke’s sole police station. From where she stood she could see a dim light in one window against the flecks of white racing by, yet no movement of any sort. Whoever was all inside must not have heard the commotion she just caused or saw her floundering out in the snow, figuring it was nothing to worry about. Regardless, Belle went to trudge her way to the two front doors only to come to a halt when she was compelled by a sudden urge. 

Facing the van again she glanced through the back window with the tip of her nose grazing the icy glass. Inside the empty dark cab was a box containing some presents along with some other various things she’d brought along, stacked right where she left them. After ensuring everything inside it was accounted for her blue eyes flickered to the far more important addition sitting in the corner. There the worn spinning wheel was, looking rather cute all coddled with the blanket draped over it as if it too sensed the chill in the air. More than that it reminded her of its soon to be reunion with its former owner, causing a rush of warmth to pass through the hollowness residing within her chest.

Knowing at least that this would be set right in time the beauty grinned softly to herself, even if a hint of sadness lingered upon her pink lips. With the urge now sated she returned to her task at hand and shuffled towards the station through the wind's vicious onslaught. Upon nearing the doors Belle reached for a metal handle, though she expected to find it locked, but it immediately popped open for her as if it’d been waiting her arrival. Still worried about intruding in places she wasn’t ‘exactly’ supposed to be she gave away her presence with a loud ‘Hello’ before hurrying inside. The heat within the station’s bricked walls was a wonderful welcome, but right away she noticed it was far quieter here than outside.

‘Strange...' Belle thought, wearing a rather puzzled expression as she moved past the empty front counter. “He was supposed to be here at least, but it’s almost like no one is. Maybe he’s gone on a-’

“Emma, is that you?” Out of the blue a voice called out from a shadowy doorway, stopping her footsteps altogether as a different set of footsteps began to move towards her. Sure enough it was none other than Sheriff Humbert like she expected when he flicked on the nearby switch, revealing them both in the ‘pop’ of light. The kind yet scruffy faced man, dressed up in his typical police uniform-if a little wrinkled, looked more than surprised at her sudden presence.

That was understandable-she hadn’t given him any forewarning, but  _disappointed_  might have been the better choice of word.

“Miss. French? Is everything all right? I wasn’t expecting you to stop by-I guess it was a good thing I seemed to have forgotten to lock the door.” The young woman gave a small cheery smile at him, but Graham with his own confused expression spoke before Belle could manage to. “By the way were you the one just now with the car alarm going off outside? I was just about to get up to go check on that but then it stopped.”

At that Belle’s wind nipped cheeks darkened another full shade, but she confessed straight away. “Yeah, that was me… I’m borrowing my dads van and the side door’s alarm isn’t functioning right, so it goes off way too easy. Which I may have triggered accidentally just now-sorry about that..."

“Those things happen to the best of us. I was just worried for a moment someone was breaking and entering nearby and that I was going to have to put them on Santa’s naughty list right before Christmas.” The Sheriff joked with a small shrug, smiling at her in that easygoing manner of his that looked at home on his features. “I’m glad I don’t have to do that now.”

The comforting vibe Graham gave off eased away her lingering embarrassment, and yet, behind his pleasant and soft-spoken attitude she noticed there was something... Off about him. With aid from the light above Belle could see a heavy sorrow resting along the rim of his sleep-deprived eyes. He looked really tired, more so than the day she first saw him after coming back to Storybrooke, but more so it was the look in those blue eyes... That alone made the beauty a bit alarmed-like they were both shouldering a similar burden tonight.

But the brief flicker she saw was cast aside when Graham turned on heel and beckoned her to follow him to where the back offices were. Both their boots pattered against the laminate tiles in loud bouncing echoes while he lead the way into the belly of the building. Much to her relief the two barred cells lining the back wall were void of company, but it was the condition of Graham’s office that Belle's immediately focused on when they entered. His desk, covered in a mass of paperwork looking to be in the process of filed, also had a mug of still steaming coffee and a half empty box containing what once was a variety of donuts while a collection of take out boxes from Granny’s were piled next to the trashcan.

It looked more like Graham was living here than working here to be honest, making the beauty's concern for him grow. 

Seeming to notice his own disorganized mess Mr. Humbert pushed some of his papers into a more manageable pile before picking up the box of donuts and offering it to her.  

“What brings you in here tonight? I can’t imagine being at the police station right before the holidays was high on your list of things to do.”

“Of course it was, I wanted to help spread some holiday cheer to all the people I know-including you. Except, you’ve been a little tricky to get to till tonight.” Belle teased as she took the plainest donut remaining. With her free hand she reached inside her purse hanging on her side and withdrew a small wrapped package before holding it out to him. “Merry Christmas Graham! I heard from Granny that you’re stuck working the night shift the next three nights and since I was out tonight I thought I’d drop by with your gift. You know-from one night-timer to another.”

“Thank you Belle-that’s too kind of you.” Graham appeared a little stunned at the offered gift, but gave a sheepish smile when he took it. “I’m afraid I don’t have a gift for you on hand, and that’s not a cover up to say I didn’t get you one... Though now hearing that it sounds like a poorly thought of excuse.”

“I don’t doubt you’re telling the truth, and you don’t have to wait till Christmas to open that if you want. By the looks of things you might need it to help get you through the next few days..." She hinted with a slight smirk before she went to nibbling at the pastry in hand, the sweet flavor tantalizing her taste buds with a few bites. With a small laugh Graham peered even more curiously at the present then placed it on the mess encompassing his desk.

The normality of everything they shared so far was almost enough to dissuade Belle's worried instincts, but still... There was something bugging her-something she couldn’t quite place except in the exhausted eyes of the man before her and the unwelcome emptiness the police station seemed to carry. A pinched frown formed on her fair face at that, one she was quick to hide. Perhaps all her time spent at Avonlea the last few months really was starting to get to her if she thought she could read buildings. Yet, her gut was usually right when it felt something was off, and so along with her brimming curiosity it convinced her to take the plunge.

“Speaking of next few days, are you going to be stuck working them all by yourself? Sorry, I was curious because a minute ago it sounded like you were expecting Emma to stop by.”

At that Graham paused, releasing a soft outtake of breath that was almost too loud against the stillness.

“Yeah I’m working alone unless there’s an emergency. In the meantime I heard from Ruby that Emma’s celebrating with Mary Margaret and David Nolan-I’m pretty sure she’s hoping to spend some time with Henry too. That would’ve been hard to do if she had to work all night... I on the other hand don’t have much in the family or friend department so shifts like this are easy for me.” Reaching for his mug of coffee Graham took a tender sip while Belle finished off her donut, thinking to herself that explained the offset in the station's atmosphere.... That didn’t seem quite right, but she didn’t get to think it over more as Graham began questioning her. “What about you? Looks like you’re headed over to work at Avonlea, though I’m surprised that Mr. Getto wanted you to. The holidays means a lot to him and he’s always been good about letting people off for it.”

“Oh he tried his hardest to give me another day off, but I wanted to work it since I’m going to be off for the rest of the week... Maybe even more than that now...” It was there Belle’s usually strong voice wavered-her tongue feeling dry, and not because of the snack she just consumed. Swiftly the events earlier in the day came rushing back, dredging up their images behind her lidded blue eyes. There’d been the phone call from her father at the pawnshop, her hurrying to borrow his van to pick up Rumplestiltskin’s spinning wheel from ‘Mr. Gold’s’, then their dinner together that had lead to the out of the blue offer she’d been given...

An offer she had not even stopped thinking about since she’d sat over her barely touched plate of food while her father explained what was going on.

In truth she knew she was more than likely being ridiculous over this whole situation. It wasn’t like what was going on was completely life altering-at least not yet-and it might not be. But she knew against her selfish wish of her and her father not having to go through such a thing it was something unavoidable... No matter how much she didn’t like what it meant-what it lead to-could lead to.

Why then... If she understood all this, with logic and reasoning making sense of it all, why... Why did she feel so torn up if she chose to go through with it?

Of course the answer was right on the tip of her tongue in the form of a name far sweeter than anything she’d ever tasted... Rumplestiltskin...

It was terrible just thinking about having to see the disappointment she knew was going to find cross the scaly face she adored tonight... On a night that was supposed to be joyous for them both. They'd been waiting for it for so long, talking and chattering about it nonstop, her impish companion had suddenly even seemed more excited about it these last few days too... But now... Regardless of her feelings on the situation she was still going to have to tell him what she was more than likely going to have to do, and worse, what might change in the future because of it.

Despite that knowledge and her resolution to do what was right it didn't stop the sharp pangs that were piercing straight through her feeble heart.

'It's not fair-it's not suppose to be like this... Why...' Belle's hand tightened on the strap of her purse, but her pained thoughts fled when a hand came to rest on the side of her arm.

She startled for a second, the act making her physically flinch, but the touch was gentle and in a way familiar... Oh! It was like the ones she gave so often to Rumplestiltskin, and that alone brought up countless memories of him recoiling from the simplest of heartfelt compassion too. But, it was Sheriff Graham who looked down at her-not her mechanical man with his vibrant amber eyes and toothy crinkled smile she was longing to see with every passing second.

“Are you alright Ms. French?” The Sheriff asked, his gaze inquiring her further but not pressing the matter. Part of her wanted nothing more than to tell him the entire truth right then and there, the words lodging in her throat, but she couldn't. As much as Belle was a creature of honesty not he or anyone else could know still couldn’t know the details given the secrecy needed to protect Avonlea’s sole occupant... 

But, there was something she could reveal, her other reason for stopping by.

“Yeah, I’m going through another rough patch right now.” Belle's voice dropped to a low tone in hopes to hide how her voice wavered from suppressing her building emotions. “There was more to why I came over here tonight than just to wish you a merry Christmas, though I am thankful for all your help and all you’ve done for me... I'm... I’m probably going to have to leave Storybrooke for a short while over some of the new year, and I wanted to ask you if you’d watch over Avonlea for me if I left. I’d feel much better knowing you were at least keeping a close eye on things… Not that much interesting happens around the place!” A tired laugh escaped her at the end, but the ring was hollow and forced to her own ears.

“Of course I can. I figure Mr. Getto would want me to anyways without you having to even ask, but I promise nothing will happen to Avonlea if you have to leave for a while.” Removing his hand from her arm the equally tired looking man stepped back and sat down in his office chair that creaked with the sudden weight. “Are things going alright with your father? I thought I last heard that he’s doing much better and that his therapy's going well, but I know illnesses like that can strike back without warning.”

Belle was quick to shake her head no, her voice much steadier when she explained-facts were far easier to speak of than feelings. 

“No, so far he’s still doing alright, but like you said there is the possibility of his condition worsening if we don’t keep on top of it. We’re just going through the issue of how to prepare for any unfavorable outcomes, but I believe we’ll both make it through... What I’m having a hard time figuring out, it’s going to sound silly, but it’s how to tell this news to a friend of mine. It means I’ll have to leave him all on his own again, and it’s been all so sudden-I wasn’t expecting this myself either…”

At the mention of her ‘friend’ Graham perked up with the slight shine of clarity in his eyes. “Would this happen to be the same guy you mentioned a while back at that Halloween party?”

“Y-yeah... Thank you for that too by the way. We had a great night that night-well the two hours we had left, but still… It was much better being with him than being at the party.” The beauty gave a small chuckle and fought off the urge to fiddle nervously with the ends of her blue scarf looped about her neck.

The answer seemed to satisfy the sheriff’s own curiosity as he just eyed her with a soft knowing glance from his seat. Yet, the walls of her heart had been loosened by his calming presence and they began to spill forth a deluge containing what bits of truth she could mention.

“You see, he and I only get a limited amount of time to see each other, and since I have some time off from both jobs I was excited at the thought of us getting to be together more… But it’s looking like that’s not going to happen. Instead I'm going to end up letting him down when we should be just celebrating, and to be honest I don’t want to leave him all alone again. I mean-I get to see him often enough so I shouldn’t complain, but it's not right-I’m so tired of not getting to be with him mo…” Belle stopped then, tucking her lip between her teeth, fighting against the burning sensation reaching her eyes. It was too hard to admit the truth to someone else when she herself was still not use to facing it after years of facing the world all on her own.

“I don’t think you should be too worried about it. Knowing you-as I do, I have a feeling you’ll make the right choice exactly like the last time we spoke.” Graham swiftly said, and his gentle tone pulled her gaze away from inspecting the snow melting on the tips of her boots. “If he cares for you as much as you care for him-and by the sound of it I’m sure he does, then he’ll be willing to understand your situation. Besides, I imagine you two will see each other again before you know it that you won’t have enough time to miss him.”

'If only he knew our friendship is far from simple, but he's got a point… About Rumple and I.’ The beauty thought, a tiny smile replacing her solemn expression.

Without knowing him at all or having a true idea of the person Graham spoke of he was on the mark in his assumptions. There had already been a few times she had left Avonlea for a bit in the year, so it wasn’t like a while of separation was new to either her or Rumplestiltskin at this point. And each of those times she'd been called or pulled away her willy sorcerer had claimed with his theatrical flair to lighten her burden or with a deep honesty to reassure her that he would be there waiting for her when she got back... He had every time-even if he had spent their moments apart all alone and fearing they might not like she was sure he did… Like she did herself.

Those memories that now felt so distant only made the ache in Belle’s chest deepen in her longing to see him. Even more so were an important reminder that through all the bad they’d faced together-that horrible break in, her father ending up back in the hospital, finding a runaway child, video tapes-past letters-missing memories, to their own fears trying to hold them back, that they’d come through everything- _ **together**_. No one else in her entire life had stood by her side like this strange mechanical man in just the few short months they’d become acquaintances to close friends… To whatever they were now. He had done all of this too despite his bloodied ragged past he still couldn't speak of-despite his deep self-loathing she could see constantly, his doubts, and fears… And she had done the same, for she couldn’t even fathom how she'd ever be able to let him go at this point.

So, no matter what was coming within the next few hours, days, turn of the new year-whatever fate had in store down the road she’d face it head on... With him, because they'd made a promise to each other they weren’t going to be separated or loose this special connection they’d formed. While the young woman didn’t have the slightest clue how to prevent that if the worst was to happen she was still the one and only Belle French... She wasn’t known to give up so easily.

And, when it came to Rumplestiltskin Belle knew in the depths of her soul she'd never stop fighting for him.

"Ms. French?"

The poor organ tucked beneath her ribs began thrumming like a drum when Belle recalled that she was not alone. Fearing that her distracted thoughts had become more than just that, like her companion’s so often did, she darted her worried gaze back to Graham. The icy blue eyes looking back at her were still so worn, but her wind nipped cheeks flared to life at the playful smirk curled up on his lips.

It was starting to become clearer to her now why everyone thought she’d gone and fallen head over heels for someone.

“I-I’m sorry for all that-I promise you I didn’t come here to drop my baggage on you like I always seem to do!” The security guard began to blather, hoping it would direct the conversation away from the matters of her heart. Yet, she had to sincerely smile at the sheriff through her obvious fluster-it seemed he had helped her out once more when she needed it most. “But you’re right-about him and me… I guess I just lost my way a moment in all my worrying, but talking to you reminded me just that.”

“Sometimes people need to just let things off their chest in hopes to figure out how to handle things better. Though I’m not sure I'm qualified enough to be saying that-I can’t seem to follow my own advice...” Graham murmured, his office chair groaning when he stood back up after his confusing comment that left Belle to observe him curiously. 

However, the sheriff’s own distracted gaze was preoccupied elsewhere as he walked around his desk towards the large window with its blinds opened to the view outside. Drawing closer as well Belle joined him there while the two stood in contemplative silence, gazing upon this foreign version of Storybrooke. As expected the flurries were still falling down, encompassing all they touched with no seeming end in sight. That view brought a sense of peace to her heavy heart despite the literal ongoing storm besieging the town. Winter had always been Belle's favorite time of year as it was one that held so many precious memories to her, many rather old, some rather recent, and soon there’d be new ones she’d share with a certain mechanical man…

One who was probably doing just as she was right now, staring out the break room window in Avonlea into the white wintry world as he waited her arrival.

It was funny though how people could look at the same thing through the same visual perspective and, yet... See things so differently. The young woman was reminded just that when Graham spoke in a hushed whisper that altogether shattered the silence.

“When you look out at all that snow it almost seems enough to bury the past and all your troubles beneath it...” He paused, taking a moment to breathe which left behind trails of fresh moisture to fog the glass. “Yet, I'm afraid mine would only rise back up to the top to taint such a lovely view.”

That comment alarmed Belle, rousing her straight from her pleasant thoughts of Avonlea and Rumplestiltskin awaiting her with a warm welcome. What was even more concerning than just what he'd freed was how deep inside she found... It was understandable.

Angling her face towards him to better study his scruffy features the beauty saw his own face held little change while he continued to peer out the pane. It was in his eyes that she saw it though, an emptiness and hopelessness that she was not use to seeing there... More than ever she wanted to pry like she had been all night, to ask him what weighed so heavy on his soul that he longed to have it buried beneath the mounds of snow just as he spoke…

But just like before the moment slipped away, him turning his head to face her once more with a smile that was far too sad.

"I’m sorry-I’m not by any means a poet, I don't know what got into me there. In fact I bet I'm taking up quite a bit of your time you'd rather be using elsewhere-it has to almost be midnight by now." He pointed out calmly, making it clear he wished to change the topic, and to her dismay his words were more than effective in doing just that.

Belle blinked a moment before recollecting she had in fact wasted precious time earlier from dealing with her father's van and its fit. Fearing the worst the beauty fished a hand into her coat pocket and drew out her phone to check the time. The screen flickered on and presented her the truth-in just ten minutes it would be time for her shift at Avonlea-she was way behind schedule!

“Shoot! Sorry Graham-I’d love to stay and talk more, but I got to go or I’ll be late meet-ge-getting to my shift!” The words tumbled forth in a giant messy heap as she was barely managing to stop herself from barreling out the station's front door in her sudden haste.

“Now we don't want that, and I better send you on your way before the roads get any worse out there. Though you shouldn’t have to worry about it when you head home-I heard it’s supposed to stop about six, and I'm sure the trucks will have cleared most of town by then. If anything arises while you’re out there though, you know you can call here at the station and I’ll do what I can to help.” He informed her-sounding ever like the town sheriff he was, and all the impatient young woman could do was nod politely in reply.

“Thanks! You don’t have to worry-like you I just have to keep the peace and an empty building otherwise preoccupied tonight.” She joked, earning her a glimpse of a real smile from him once more.

With that her boots began moving of their own accord to the office door-part of her mind already mapping out what roads would get her to her destination the quickest and safest... Just like before though, another sudden urge rose up just as she reached the threshold of his office to slip away. There her fingers curled around the edge of the doorframe when she heard no sound of Graham moving from his spot at all. Glancing back over her shoulder Belle’s blue eyes solemnly observed his figure lingering by the window, watching the wintry world separated from his quiet lonely station…

It made her realize then, as the quietness of the building snuck back in to every crack and crevice of the room that perhaps... She wasn’t the only one in need of some reassurance tonight.

“Hey, Graham… You take care too, alright?” Belle called to him softly, and for once he was the one who appeared somewhat startled with how fast his head turned to her. Yet, the bravery dwelling in Belle’s heart called her to action-do the brave thing so bravery will follow, and she spoke, hoping whatever flowed out from her own heavy soul might reach him in some way. “You’re not all alone you know-there’s so many people in this town that care about you. So please, don’t try to bury whatever it is weighing you down, because you’re right… Someday it’ll only rise up to the top to be faced again, so you need to face it now, or else things just won’t ever change… Even if it means things don’t go the way you hope it will-you have to try…”

He stared at her then, like he’d forgotten how to speak altogether-a look she’d also never seen on him before. Except this one made her absolutely nervous that nothing she’d said made sense or that she'd gone way out of line just saying whatever was on the top of her head-it wouldn’t be the first time... Yet, the tension, weariness, and exhaustion coiled within Graham seemed to slip away if just for a moment with a sense of peace taking their place.

“Thank you Belle... And I hope that you and your loved ones have a Merry Christmas together.”

Nodding her head in reply, overcome by her own too many emotions she also buried inside, the beauty slipped past the door frame without another glance back.

“You too Graham-and tell Emma Merry Christmas for me.”

After that it took her no time at all to reach the entrance to the station with only the clip of her steps following after. When Belle returned to the front doors the wind was howling louder than ever, excited at the prospect of having prey to tug and nip at once more. Drawing her coat, scarf, and knit hat closer to herself she prepared to face the cold that would lash out and seep back into her bones. It would-there was no way to stop it, but at least it wouldn’t for long. There was a comfortable couch, a blanket she had the foresight to bring along, and her animatronic companion awaiting her at Avonlea to keep her warm soon enough. 

That alone made opening the slab of metal and facing the lashing gale and flurries that much easier to do.

However, her thoughts were a whirlwind of their own when she stepped back out into the ongoing storm enveloping Storybrooke. Drawing closer to her father’s van it dawned more on Belle just what she too needed to do this night herself amongst the things she’d been avoiding... It wasn’t just about telling Rumplestiltskin what news she received today, but so much more... Of facing the things she’d contained inside from fear of his reaction, and facing her own reaction to admitting them once and for all.

With the dawning new year around the corner it felt like this night was a sign it was time for her to start moving forward like Ruby, Graham, and her father made her realize. It was time to stop thinking of all the countless possibilities or various outcomes, time to stop burying everything deep down while hoping everything would fall into place or just never change... If her fate was her own to make, like she’d always spoken of in moments of bravery or bullheadedness, she needed to grip it tight and take claim of it. Even if whatever ‘fate’ of hers might not turn out like she hoped the young woman had to try-for herself, for the future she wanted so badly…

For him… And the happy ending she wished for them both to share one day. 

As the young woman unlocked the van and hopped back into the driver’s seat, her fingers swiftly turning the key and starting the engine, her impatience grew with each passing moment. Shortly the vehicle was grumbling and then lurching forward as it pulled out of the deserted parking lot of the police station. Together the machine and human took on the pilling roads that were determined not to make easy on them in reaching her destination. Regardless of the weather, the worsening conditions, or anything else at all Belle gripped the steering wheel tighter and plowed on, passing the neighborhoods she could hardly recognize disappearing beneath mounds of white on the way to Avonlea.

Not the snow, nor the ice, nor the fears of tomorrow and what it might bring were going to keep her from getting to be with Rumplestiltskin tonight though.

There was nothing that would stop them from ever being together… Her heart was sure of it with every thrumming beat that called out to him across the space and distance of the nearing family fun center.

No… She gritted her teeth a bit more, denying the surfacing doubts that were trying to prove her wrong.

There was nothing going to separate them... Nothing at all.

—————

The waiting was agony.

It was an agony worse than how he awaited his dear security guard to return every Monday night after a long weekend spent apart. Ticking by at a snails pace each minute felt more unbearable to him than the long slow months he spent unable to move an inch or all the years hidden away, waiting for a change to the endless cycle of his existence... Perhaps, that was all rather dramatic, but Rumplestiltskin was surprised at how little guilt he felt for feeling this way.

Tonight was a very special night-one he’d never imagined he’d ever get the chance to experience in his entire existence.

But for now all he could do was wait as he lingered beside the large window in the break room of Avonlea, pacing back and forth upon his knee length boots. The surrounding light from the vending machines was bleak like usual, but enough to reveal his lonesome figure along with the abandoned remnants of the Christmas party the staff had earlier in the day. Normally such a mess would’ve had the imp’s immediate attention with him cleaning up and grumbling about Marco paying everyone too much to do so little. Yet, every spec and piece of trash remained where they were beyond his slightest interest. For not they or even the beautiful sight of the snow swirling past the pane could hold the focus of his inhuman eyes.

All that mattered to him in that moment was getting to see a certain white car come rolling through the parking lot beyond to where it usually parked. However, there’d been no headlights or any other sign of it and its driver appearing the last thirty minutes. Which might have been the reason the animatronic was whirling about on his heels in dizzying circles as he continued to wait... And wait…

And wait…

“Ahhhh! I’m going to wear down my servo’s at this rate!” Suddenly his impish voice snapped while he brought both of his scuffled boots to an abrupt halt with a loud squeak against the tiles. “I have to think of something else to keep my mind occupied or I’ll be in pieces by the time she does get here!”

Try as he might it was impossible to keep his processors set on anything else than the wild imaginings of his beloved running through his head. In his data born consciousness Rumplestiltskin pictured Belle arriving in perfect clarity and walking towards Avonlea like a glimmer of light in this desolate night. His brave beauty would be all wrapped up in her coat and work uniform with flush lips, her auburn locks spilled over her shoulders in beautiful curls, and her startling blue eyes sparkling in a way that made his insides falter when they glanced at him. The fluttering flakes he now took in would also grace her cheeks tonight like tiny kisses-oh-she’d be even prettier in the soft glow of Christmas lights! He could picture that scene already, them nestled on the couch together with her delighted at their celebration they would be hosting in this world all their own.

If he delighted her enough tonight would she be gracious enough to bestow him an innocent kiss on the cheek? Or maybe… Possibly give him another kiss on the lips thanks to some holiday tradition of some sort?

It was at this pitiful wishful thinking the mechanical man felt guilty, causing several parts in his throat to grind together.

Hoping to distract himself from his escalating emotions Rumplestiltskin closed his eyes and stilled his buzzing body to check his internal clock. As he expected it was just a little short of midnight, meaning he didn't have much longer to endure before his security guard was suppose to arrive. In truth he’d been more than ready for a couple of hours since Avonlea had closed its doors early, everyone getting to go home to spend their allotted holiday time with their loved ones... Yet, as the night shift and their soon to be celebration drew nearer he found his doubts and anxieties over this unordinary evening start to creep in.

Those frightening twitching hands of his displayed that fact, and so he brushed them down the lapels of his leather coat as if trying to remain presentable looking. Not that it helped considering how shabby he was, earning a grimace on his scaly mug. Even with having cleaned up with a wet rag, combed his unruly mass of ‘hair’ as best he could, and put on the nice silk shirt Belle had given him his state of wear wasn’t any better looking. Despite his constant flaws the imp managed to cast aside some of his self deprecation when his dark clawed fingers ran over his vest’s new matching set of coppery buttons. Pride filled him at the sight-for once he'd taken care of something like this all on his own... Of course, he only got so far thanks to the book and sewing kit Belle allowed him to borrow.

The contraptions in his chest ticked faster as he went to wondering if his curious companion would notice right away. It wasn’t at that alone, though he had long ago admitted to himself he shamelessly enjoyed her praises. He was far more eager for her to see what he’d done setting up for their night, and the most important reason of all... To be able to finally give her something in return. 

At that his segmented digits went to kneading themselves without his notice, his thoughts turning to the present stashed away in the security guard's office.

After having spent endless hours making it the last few days, entirely forgoing ‘sleep’ mode in the process, he hoped there was enough there for it to be worth something. Of course he knew it wasn’t at all what his dearest deserved. Belle in all her wonder should’ve been gifted the entire world and more-trips to all the sights she spoke of seeing, every single book she longed to read, of her dream house with all the human comforts she desired right down to the sunroom to grow as many cactus as she pleased. There wasn’t anyone else he thought deserved a rightful ‘happy ending’ more than her-even if he was a little bias…

However, the broken inhuman thing he was had already come to the painful understanding he could give her none of those precious things. He couldn’t even give her warmth after all, nor time together spent in the day light beyond these walls, or tend to her needs, and most terrible of all... Couldn’t offer her a love that was in any true sense ‘real’. Not that he started to expect she would ever want to love him-no one in their right mind would.

But, the mere thing he’d created with borrowed art supplies and cheap materials was what he could give her, and that was why he had poured every ounce of his nonexistent heart into in all his sparse moments. Between each page he’d drawn, crafted, and snipped away at the animatronic had embedded each of his cherished moments he’d had since she came into his life. No, it could never replace the real thing Belle lost all those years ago and then in pure kindness given to him, not that he wanted it to, but maybe…

“M-maybe… One day it could at least hold its own special place in her heart.” Rumplestiltskin hoped deep inside, however the words spilled past his faux lips, ringing with his uncertainty. Shaking his head at his far to optimistic thinking he chided himself like a petulant child. “No, she’ll probably just laugh at me instead for making her something so predictable not to mention ugly-or more than likely she’d thank me all while forcing a smile on her face. Which I wouldn’t blame her for… But I hope… B-Belle will come to like it, even if just a little bit.”

When the echo of his electronic voice faded away, silence taking its place, it reminded him of how he still had to wait to find out those answers he craved... How all he could ever do was wait in order to see her and hear that enchanting voice of hers call his name. The actuality of doing so tonight seemed impossible for him to endure any longer with all the things bubbling inside-so much so that a screech near tore straight from his plated throat.

“ ** _AHH-!_**  NO-I-I need to get a grip! There’s no use standing around here whining like a love struck fool from some romantic dribble and near tearing my hair out!” He growled, his hands flying up around him franticly before his jagged awful teeth snapped together. “If I want to be useful I should double check that everything is perfect since she could be here at any given second. Maybe I should get more snacks out-or move some more decorations to the office...”

Tugging at the ends of his grayish coils Rumplestiltskin continued to rattle off to the nearby nothingness in his distress.

But then without warning something caused the grumbling machine to still in his entirety-his voice, hands, and all.

Upon the heels of his boots he swiftly turned back to the wide window, pressing his crooked slab of metal for a nose against the glass. Through the wild snow and darkness beyond he could see little, but his auditory sensors managed to focus on something past the cry of the wind. Sure enough there was the faint rumble of an engine not too far away, and seconds later he caught sight of a pair of head lights on the adjacent street to the backend of Avonlea. His whole form started to tremble in hope as he watched the vehicle turn to the back entrance, but that hope dissipated the instant he saw the shape of a van instead of Belle's familiar white car pulling up into the parking lot.

‘What-that's... S-someone else is coming to Avonlea!’ 

His shock nearly sent the mechanical man stumbling back and speeding off into the belly of the building so he could hide in his forsaken room. Yet, when he was about to turn tail to do just that something in his code locked his servos, keeping him planted right there. This van was somehow familiar despite him having never seen it before, but as to why dawned upon him when caught sight of the large label reading ‘GAME OF THORNS’ down the side. Rumplestiltskin’s whole frame perked up in a mixture of surprise-that van had to belong to Belle’s father! From their many nights spent together he had heard countless stories from his blue eyed beauty of her father’s floral business, a so called ‘beautiful shop full of varying greenery’ he always denied admitting he longed to see someday.

However, his amber orbs illuminated like usual in their black sockets blinked human like in his confusion. ‘Why is Belle driving that to work tonight? Had something happened to her own vehicle-or worse to her father?’ With his concern now escalating the animatronic let out the short screech that had been welling up inside before taking off into the hallway. The rapid ‘clacking’ of his limbs echoed through the otherwise quiet corridors as he flew by, him ending up at the back door within the blink of an eye. From eagerness and worry he disarmed the security alarm in seconds, easily unlocking and wrenching the door open wide-

To be greeted by a rush of flurries that spattered against him. 

It took him a moment in his shock to process that this was the first time he’d ever touched an ounce of snow in all his time he’d been ‘aware’, but that mattered little to him right now. After blinking his optics clear he watched the approaching van’s windshield wipers brush away a film of snow, revealing the one and only Belle French sitting in the drivers seat. At that a lopsided smile scrunched up on Rumplestiltskin’s golden-green face, his excitement returning ten fold.

Instead of parking in her usual spot beneath the light post Belle pulled the van up closer to the building, aligning the driver’s side with it. Croaking one final note the engine came to a stop before the head lights flickered out and the door’s window rolled down. There the face he’d come to adore more and more with each passing night greeted him with those dazzling eyes peering back into his metal ones.

“I’m so sorry if I scared you there Rumple! I forgot to call and mention that I was coming in my father’s van tonight-it was kind of unexpected. Are you okay though? Your servo’s didn’t freeze up did they?” Belle asked over the rush of wind, looking fairly worried herself, but her voice only soothed Rumplestiltskin to his core.

“I-I’m alright-just a bit surprised is all.” He tittered out of nervousness when he took a step past the door’s threshold, his first ever in the snow that sunk with a pleasant sound beneath his weight. Owlishly peered at her through the tangles of his blown about hair as he approached, but some of his wires wriggled inside his hull as if in warning. It was the usual sign that something was still off tonight despite Belle’s apparent calm appearance so far, so he inquired her further. “Strange that you've changed your means of transportation today of all days… Did something happen to your car, dearest?”

His beauty seemed surprised that he’d ask such a thing and shook her head as she opened the door to jump out. “No-not at all! My car is totally fine, but I... I had a big package I had to pick up, so I borrowed this van from my father-I uh, also thought it’d be easier for me drive in weather like this so I could get here. Not that it would have deterred me if I hadn’t.”

“I should have figured that much-even if there was a blizzard engulfing the entire town it wouldn’t stop you at all from doing as you pleased!” Rumplestiltskin teased-ever the theatric imp, yet he had a good hunch there was something Belle was omitting with this unusual air of nervousness about her. Regardless, the tiny woman slammed the door shut against the opposing gale before bounding through the snow towards him.

“You’re absolutely right, nothing in this whole world was going to stop me from getting to Avonlea to have Christmas with you!” His dearest beamed with an adorable smile reaching her cheeks. “Even if that meant I would’ve had to trudge through it on foot the entire way here!” 

Oh, he wouldn’t put it pass her to do just that-stubborn as she was, but it was the realization that she would in all honesty that left him wordless. The monstrous machine stared at his human companion, stunned and unable like so many times before to comprehend why she graced him with her friendship-let alone her time and kindness. His lack of a proper response only seemed to amuse her from how her pert mouth widened. The mirth in her expression reached all the way to those shimmering eyes lidded by such lovely dark lashes. 

Drawn to her like a moth to a flame Rumplestiltskin found himself covering the last bit of distance separating them with a few wonky steps. Altogether the surrounding snow became forgotten in his field of vision except for the few small flakes he found coating her. His previous imaginings hadn’t done her justice with how beautiful she was adorned by the soft touch of winter. The animatronic found he wanted nothing more in that moment than to hold her face gently in his hands while his thumbs brushed away the ones having the honor of clinging to her lips. 

It took an alarming amount of his willpower to keep his scaly hands at his sides in order to not make a fool of himself and fumble pathetically for her. Yet, much to his unending shock it seemed he was not alone in desiring some form of touch. Both of Belle's gloved hands took claim of his segmented ones before he had the chance to react then laced their fitting digits together.

“I’ve been so excited for tonight-you have no idea, and I’m sorry for making you wait so long. There were a few stops I had to make before getting here-I wanted to make sure Henry got his present from us. But how fitting is it that it started to snow? I wish you could see how beautiful downtown is, and-oh! This has to be your first time being out in the snow ever!” Belle’s accented voice filled with pure delight in at the sudden thought, and Rumplestiltskin grinned like a love struck fool at her enthusiasm.

He had to agree wither her that the winter scene was beautiful, and he was sure she would laugh if she knew many years ago the far more naive version of himself had been down right flabbergasted the first time he’d seen snowflakes fluttering past a window. Years later he found it still soothing to watch the world change as it readied itself to be reborn in the coming months... Bringing with it second chances and new hopes at life for those who lived within it.

But, like most nights as of late he could tell that it wouldn’t be keen for them to remain out in this winter wonderland even if she actually wanted to. It was hard enough to hear her over the storm’s howling, and there was no hiding how she was shivering from head to toe-no doubt he'd become freezing to the touch soon too. With that his protective side engaged, and besides, they had more than enough to keep them occupied inside for the whole night...

Which would be far less messy from such troublesome weather anyways.

But perhaps, before the New Year the snow would still be around so one night they could frolic in it to her hearts content... He’d be willing to do that for her even if it meant having to clean his bothersome boots again.

“You’re right! This is my first time out in anything like this, and I much prefer it to the rain-it seems more forgiving for something like me. However, I’d find on a special night like this I’d rather be tucked away inside celebrating with you… Though, I already figured you had a detailed list to keep us busy with your silly human traditions you couldn’t stop prattling about this entire month.” His taunting of course got a reaction for those rosy cheeks puffed up as she squinted at him. “Now-now, don’t throw a fit! Aren’t knights supposed to be willing to sacrifice for the greater good?” 

“I think you’re just being a party pooper cause you know I’d beat you in a snowball fight.” Belle huffed in fun, but it was clear she was in agreement after a big shiver stole over her tiny form. Releasing his hands to take a step back, making the animatronic almost release an audible crackle of dismay, his security guard moved towards her father’s van. “Alright, I think you’ve got a point, and It’s way too cold for the both of us to be out here long. But before I head inside I need to grab a few things I brought along with me-so you can go on ahead to my office, and I’ll meet you there to start our celebration.”

“W-wait-do you need any assistance? Surely I can be of some use!” Rumplestiltskin offered right away as his metal eyebrows drooped on their tracks. God-no doubt he looked just as pitiful as he sounded right there, but he didn’t want to endure waiting anymore in the darkness of Avonlea without her at his side. Taking a few more steps forward to remain with her only ended up making Belle whip back around and hold out both her gloved hands like she was hoping to keep him at bay... To which he did, because the images of his past encounters with other humans came rushing back in a spark at her action, making him automatically think he’d frightened her somehow. That sudden surge of his own fear disappeared to the recesses of his data banks at the look casted over her face though.

That wasn’t horror peering at him at all, filling him with utter relief... But, it was an expression he knew well-especially those features he'd studied for months now.

“No-no! I’m fine-you go on, I’ll be there in just a minute.” The security guard gave a shrug that was far too casual to be ignored, and it was Rumplestiltskin’s slats for eyelids that squinted together.

“Ah-ah-ah! You think you’ve been clever so far, dearest, but I know what you’re playing at… You’re hiding something from me!” Pointing one accusing finger at her the impish machine made small little jabs before withdrawing it to his chest in a dramatic flourish. “To be so betrayed by my once so noble knight! Now I fear I must do whatever it takes to uncover my foe’s great mystery-no matter the consequences!”

Releasing one of his eerie ‘not up to good’ giggles into the lashing wind caused the beauty to balk before him as expected.

“Look it’s really nothing important-and I said I got it!” Her tone carried a warning note to it, but the glint in her eyes and twitch of her mouth gave way to her nervousness and amusement she was trying so hard to hide. Drawing on this the imp smiled as innocently back at her as he could with his jagged dagger like teeth showing before inching one boot through the snow her way. Those daring blue eyes widened as Belle shook her head in a wordless rebuttal, but it was far too late for her to fend ignorance now. “No! No! You can’t look yet! Rumple! Don’t you dare!” 

A few sliding steps forward brought him close enough that she was within easy his range of reach. With a quick fluid motion both of his hands shout out, grasping for Belle's coat covered sides with his fingers scurrying up beneath her arms. It resulted in the surprised gasp he’d hoped to hear that turned to puffs of laughter spewing forth from that kissable mouth.

“Ack! Rumple! That’s-heehee! That’s not fair! What is with you-heehehee! And surprises!” She chortled, her low voice wonderful as ever while he used this most useful weakness against her. Becoming a floundering mess Belle giggled madly from his rapid tickling, and it allowed him to draw them both closer to the van like he planned. However, his beauty caught onto his game much faster than he hoped, pushing back against his much heavier figure through his onslaught of fiendish digits racing down her ribs. 

“I swear-heehee-if you keep ticking me! I’ll-I’ll-sing Christmas carols the whole entire night! Don’t think I’m kidding!” Belle threatened, but the machine just held her close, daring her to do so with a waggle of his metal brows. Taking his challenge head on the young woman quelled her giggling enough to make good on her claim as she began to full heartedly sing.  _“OH! We wish you a Merry Christmas-We wish you a Merry Christmas-We wish you a Merry Christmas and a happy new y-”_

“Alright! Alright! You win! Just cease that infernal song! Takes forever to get them out of my head...” Rumplestiltskin grumbled in defeat upon feeling the melody try to lodge itself in his processors-with her stirring voice no less.

With a swift movement he released her from his trap, and Belle stumbled to stay upright while trying to regain her lost breath. Feeling a little flustered at seeing her so bright red and worked up-from him no less, he casted his eyes away, pulling back up his trickster like persona. “Seeing as the sorcerer has been thwarted once again he’ll accept defeat and respect the knight’s wishes-it is Christmas Eve after all.  _Technically_.”

Seeming satisfied and a bit cocky Belle looked at him with a complacent look while the white wisps of her warm breath disappeared into the open air. “Just be patient a little bit longer my sorcerer and then you won’t have to wonder as to what I brought with me… And Rumple, one more thing before you go…”

With how her words dropped off he tucked his arms behind his back, prepared to hear some extra request she’d ask of him he would no doubt follow through. Yet, no manner of preparation would’ve had him ready for such an outcome, like every time before. For Belle leaned forward then, resting her hands on his chest, and then reached up on her toes to place her lips upon the corner of his mouth. 

The pressure against his faux face near his parted lips-not to mention her hands splayed on his rigid form, sent his poor system into overdrive. 

All his desires and longings sparked out into the wires thrashing inside of him in that gentle and intimate moment. It was hard to ignore the part of himself that begged him to just turn his head a mere inch so he’d catch her mouth with his own and let her know first hand just what she did to him. Then again it was good her kiss lasted only for a moment or two to prevent such reckless thoughts from becoming what he knew would be a regretful action. But when she pulled back, allowing his eyes to illuminate the scarlet hue of her cheeks, he was still left gapping mutely at her radiating warmth and beauty.

“Don’t think I didn’t notice you becoming a master of sewing while I wasn’t looking. And you did it all on your own, I’m very proud of you…” Belle stated then as one of her hands traveled down his chest, skimming over the new gleaming buttons lining his stomach. The breathless sound of her voice alone was a roar against the cries of the storm and caused his body to jerk into her touch from the foreign sensations she stirred in his code. In fact, the compliment near went over his head if it hadn’t been for his keen memory, managing to help him save some face when he gave her a twitchy smile.

Appearing content and way too pleased the beauty slipped away again from him, waiting for him to return inside Avonlea like agreed. Oh, he wanted to stay and put up a fight, or at least figure out what she was up to, but the imp could tell he’d lost this battle from how he couldn’t even emit a meek twitter in reply. So with a quick over the top bow Rumplestiltskin turned on his heel as requested to retreat for the time being.

Yet, as he went back to Avonlea and brushed off the bits of snow stuck to his person his former smile faltered. It felt more than wrong to walk through that back door without Belle’s arm taking up the crook of his elbow while she chattered about her day or the new book occupying her free time. As that very door closed behind him with a lackluster click, shrouding him in darkness, he scolded himself again for feeling so lonesome when she stood just on the other side of a piece of metal he could easily tear apart if he wanted to reach her. It was only for a bloody minute! Surely he could handle not seeing her for that long! He handled every daytime spent apart during the week-not to mention every dull weekend, or that whole week she was completely away… As lonely as it was not seeing her in person despite the phone calls they shared.

Yet, after a kiss like that along with the night he’d prepared awaiting them Rumplestiltskin wanted nothing more than to remain right there, waiting for her.

Despite its intensity he managed to quell the urge considering she wasn't the only one with surprises up her sleeves for the night. In fact, he needed to start setting his own into motion and now was the perfect time to do so. The mechanical man smirked to himself, his boots swiftly moving him forward into the pitch black of the hallway towards the security office. As he strolled, musing over how his clever scheming was coming to fruition, one of his hands couldn’t help but brush the corner of his hinged mouth blessed by Belle’s touch… 

“Oh, dearie dear.” Rumplestiltskin hummed to himself in glee. “It seems tonight will be a night full of surprises for us both.”

—————

When she finally managed to get inside of Avonlea it was far quieter than she expected it to be- _much too quiet._

At first she was too distracted to notice, silently thanking Mr. Getto for allowing the furnace to run somewhat at night despite the power restrictions. It was when she reached the ’T’ junction of the corridor leading in that the pure silence all but hit her like brick wall. Stopping for a moment Belle hauled the heavy box she was carrying closer to herself, straining to hear the typical ‘clacking’ of her strange companion. Only the quiet of the building answered back as there was no sign audible or visible of him anywhere nearby. On a normal instance that meant Rumplestiltskin was hiding somewhere or in another part of Avonlea altogether...

 But that didn’t feel likely to her from the wild eagerness he’d just shown after barreling out the back door to greet her upon arrival. 

Amusement spread across Belle's features in remembrance-never had she seen him so excited or worked up like that before in their few months together, especially to go carelessly into the outside world he feared. Yet, his brilliant smile he’d shot her the moment he saw her had said it all, almost casting away all her worries the moment she saw him too.

But now a slight frown took bent the curve of her lips from not finding his set of amber eyes hovering nearby in wait for her. Knowing he couldn’t be too far-where-ever he was, kept Belle on her directive in moving toward her office. While she walked with her box in tow the young woman remained vigilant, eyeing the shadows, corners, and passing doors to see if he was just having a bit of fun and hoping to spook her... Or perhaps he was planning something in retaliation to what she’d done minutes ago.

What she’d done… She hadn’t really meant to do-well, sort of. The teasing him had been planned-yes, and kissing him, but not on the corner of his mouth like that. She had meant his cheek going in like most instances, but at the last second her mind had been so enveloped by how inviting his mouth looked that she about gave in and smothered him in a flurry of kisses-

Heat for what felt the one hundredth time that night stoked the furnace that was Belle’s cheeks at her not so innocent thoughts, causing her to groan into the bunch of her scarf.

This was ridiculous for her to get so worked up over! She’d kissed her companion right directly on the mouth twice before this, and both had been her own choice. The logical portion of her still had to point out that those moments had reasons they happened beyond her growing desires for him, like wanting him to experience a bit of ‘humanity’ and its traditions. Tonight her initial intention had been to ease the disappointment he’d shown at not getting to see what she was up to, and for the disappointment she was bound to make him endure later. In the process though she'd almost lost what bit of control she had anymore towards him in her longing to claim those deliciously soft lips…

Through her rising fluster the security guard forced her desires away, managing to stumble her way to her office only to find the door closed. It took her a moment with her occupied arms to get ahold of the knob, but upon opening it she was just greeted to another wall of stifling darkness. Disappointment settled deeper in her face, her grip now slipping on the edges of the box. Was Rumplestiltskin honestly choosing to be elsewhere for some reason on this night she just wanted to be near him? Or had she just offended him or hurt his feelings in someway before he went inside? That couldn't be, but Belle couldn’t help but feel worried now, and so she reached over to flick on the adjacent light switch, preparing to leave her things to go in search of him.

But, it wasn’t just the bulb in the ceiling that sparked to life in that next instant.

The whole entire room lit up in a shocking display, washing the usually bland office space into a sea of various colors. Reds, blues, greens, whites burned bright from all sorts Christmas lights strung around the ceiling, the filing cabinet, over the desk, and to the very door frame that she stood beneath-transfixed to the spot. Gawking Belle trailed her gaze from the dazzling glow to further down, noticing they weren’t the only festive change to her meager space. There were some other decorations hanging here and there while the most noticeable change had to be the small fake Christmas tree she spotted in the corner of the room that had been empty beforehand. In addition there were some poinsettias placed near her desk that now hosted a tray of snacks alongside a steaming kettle of what she assumed was her favorite tea... Her awed smile grew further to see a certain portly cactus sitting there too with a bow upon its pot as if it also was invited into the festivities.

Overall the whole effect of her office was so unexpected, warm, and inviting, that a soft laugh escaped her at this special surprise.

Without a doubt the best part had to be her impish companion amidst it all, standing right in the middle of the room with his metal eye lids closed shut. Oh-he was clever alright as that had had kept him well hidden, but after a few silent moments filled with only her soft breathing his eyes began to pry open. Their equally luminous gaze drifted up towards her, revealing in their depths his anxiousness and hopefulness at her reaction. For a second Belle was lost to him, remembering the night they’d first gotten to know one another-the one under the blossoms of stage lights he’d turned on by accident when he tried to fix himself in the fit he’d suffered. Rumplestiltskin-scaly and golden-green in his strange leather clothes, was still the same enchanting mechanical sorcerer she’d seen then dappled in such colors like these… 

But this was different. He was far less forced and foreign to her now, free of his mask he hid behind as he looked at her with such an open gaze that her heart pounded against her ribs. She was brought forth from this overwhelming sensation when he raised his hands, his prominent tic reaching his fidgety fingers. Realizing she’d said nothing at all for what felt a minute Belle sputtered nervously before taking a few steps towards him.

“Wow-did you… You did this all by yourself-for tonight...” It took an embarrassing amount of effort to find the right words. She was still floored by the effort he had gone through in setting this up for her- _for them_. Altogether his surprise had caused her to forget the box in her arms till his alien eyes flickered from it back to her, reminding her of its cumbersome weight.

“Twas a mere trifle given that Avonlea closed up early today.” He stated as if it mattered little, the twitching beneath his silicone features said otherwise. “I might have gone overboard, but you were the one who said we needed to have an authentic celebration, so I did my best to try and emulate all I’ve seen... It’s not too much is it?’”

“No-it’s beautiful Rumple, and a more than lovely welcomed surprise!” Belle exclaimed without much thought, fearing that somehow she’d insinuated that she was not pleased. 

Setting the box down by her desk she whipped back around to see him more at ease with his pad like shoulders un-hunched. That made her relax too, yet she had to bite her lip in thought when she noticed there was something not quite ‘accurate’ with his holiday display. 

“Despite not being as familiar with the holiday you’ve set it up so wonderfully, however, I’m curious to know why that tree is missing its decorations.”

Both of them shifted their attention to the wee artificial, finding that its branches were completely barren of any ornaments, garland, or tinsel. Her imp seemed to know better, though, as he placed a hand on her waist and lead her over towards it. When they neared Rumplestiltskin reached beside the couch’s armrest and withdrew his own box, one containing all the ornaments she imagined the tree had before he whisked it away from the main part of the building.

“I took them off when I brought it over here so none of them would break... But isn’t it part of the tradition to hang them up with the people you l-w-with the people you hold dear? Thinking on it now though it’s kind of a pointless endeavor since we’ll just have to take them all off and move it again later!” It sounded like he meant to say something else for a moment, but he was quick to titter as if in hopes it went by her notice. It didn’t, but it let the beauty know how worked up he truthfully was if the tightening of his fingers on her side hadn’t given it away first.

“Well, I think it’s a wonderful idea-one I might have copied as I brought a few of my own ornaments too.” Belle replied with a cheeky grin. “Most are ones I made when I was a kid or got from my relatives, but I figured I’d bring them since I’ve been too busy to put up my own tree at home. I didn’t bother my father with them-he hasn’t put a tree up in years, but like you said it’s much more fun to share this with someone special to you.”

Rumplestiltskin appeared surprised at that claim, but he continued to smile at her with his jagged mossy teeth peering out his maw. It only endeared her to him more at such bared hope he usually tried his best to hide. As if realizing just that Rumplestiltskin let go of her without warning, near about making Belle squeak in protest at the loss of his touch, before he bent down to retrieve a single silver ornament. Like the scales of his exposed plates the round ball glittered pretty in the blinking lights when he held it out before himself.

“Well then, the two of us better get started, after all we only have six hours to celebrate and then clean it all up.” His high-pitched voice danced with his wriggling segmented finger as he offered the ornament for her to take.

But, it was just what he said shattered the momentary happiness that had overtaken Belle. All too soon she was reminded of the life and ongoing world still awaiting her outside this isolated one-the one she'd have to face again.

That was right... They only had six hours to enjoy themselves and to be with each other on such a special occasion... Not only that-she had to figure out when to drop her news and all the possibilities looming above with it, ruining their entire time together. Then after those six hours she would leave for the night-would leave him all alone to more than likely be gone for a while longer following after… 

Or even worse…

How sad was it that their time together had just begun and already she was dreading a single glance at the clock, fearing to witness the hands race by without a care. It would be completely different if she knew that when she left she’d finally be taking him by the hand and bringing him with her like she’d been wanting to do for so long now... To know they’d both be settled in her apartment where she’d awake in the daylight hours to find him where her poor heart believed he should be... At her side in a home made by the two of them, free from this tomb he’d confined himself to.

For a second Belle felt suffocated at such selfish wishful longings drowning out the joy she should be focusing on in their place. In a mighty surge her bravery rose up, pleading with her to stop right there and force out all the things she needed to say. Not a single word of it slipped free at the sight of the happiness encompassing her dearest friend.

She couldn’t-not yet... It was way too early in the night for such sorrow, and she wanted to keep this joyous occasion going on for as long as she could... Then she would do what she must, because no matter how much it would hurt they would get through this.

Hoping her grin had not faltered Belle took the ornament from her companion and draped it across a branch of the Christmas tree that welcomed the added weight. The mechanical man’s delight faltered for a second like she feared, him seeming to notice something was off with her like he always did. Quick to distract him Belle took a candy cane from his box and tapped him on the end of his crooked nose before offering it to him. Rumplestiltskin eyed her wearily as he took it, but his buzzing happiness was infectious from how it seeped back into her as they went to delving into the ornaments with gusto.

After stripping herself free of her coat, hat, and winter accessories it was rather easy getting lost in the fun she was having alongside her beloved sorcerer. From that moment on Avonlea was filled with their chatter and laughter that echoed through out the winding strucutre of the building. That laugher escalated more so when she uncovered a crude popsicle reindeer with a red pom-pom for a nose and googly eyes that she’d made when she was five. Or when she revealed the candy canes were in fact edible when she unwrapped one without his notice and bit into it without warning him. The security guard’s giggling refused to cease even when the animatronic’s did as he grumbled a short while about her hanging up several adorable fairy ornaments she’d gotten from her grandmother's collection.

That one he got over soon enough with a few not so accidental brushes against his arms in passing for more ornaments.

Altogether their commenting and snippets they shared involving their lives and this holiday-the bits Rumplestiltskin did have, made the task far more fun than she remembered it being. Yet, the empty branches were running out of room as the human and animatronic twisted about one another, playfully fighting over who claimed a spot here and there. Belle was more than sad to see the box empty when she reached in and found nothing left but the tree’s topper, but after admiring the classic looking star she turned, giving it to her imp. If anyone deserved the honor it was him for all his hard work in setting this all up... Besides, the adorable look on his face from how touched he was by the gesture was far more of a reward.

When he stepped back after setting the star with the greatest of care upon its highest point both of them stood side by side to admire it. There was no denying that their little tree was far from perfect despite their best efforts... Yet, it didn’t matter to her, because it was theirs as her dainty blues observed it with a deep appreciation that she also glanced and found in the soft glow of her companion’s.

But like any good Christmas tree it was missing one last important detail to complete the scene.

“There, we’re all finished, except now it’s time for the best part!” Belle exclaimed before she whirled back around to the box she’d brought with her near her desk. Rumplestiltskin swiveled upon his whirring limbs to follow after, curious to what she meant as she felt him peer over her shoulder in wonder. No longer able to contain her excitement Belle opened the cardboard flaps, reached in, and with a big scoop filled her arms up with a multitude of presents. 

Too many presents for her small arms to handle all at once that she near about spilt them all over the floor if he hadn’t lunged forward and saved them.

“Thank you, I got a bit carried away there, and now I’m starting to think they won’t even all fit beneath the tree...” Belle wondered out loud, but after she righted herself the beauty noticed immediately that Rumplestiltskin remained frozen in place, his eyes stuck upon the two packages he’d caught. A bit concerned at how truly robotic his expression was she leaned back to peer into his face while he stared, seeming to be at a loss at the objects wrapped in holly themed paper. “Rumple, are you okay? I didn’t break any of the boxes when I almost dropped them did I?”

“N-no… W-what are… W-what a-are all of these?” He sputtered before he refocused his attention to her, shaking the gifts as an extra measure to ensure she too could see them.

“They’re your gifts of course. Whom else would they be for?” She informed him blatantly with a quirked brow, but that didn’t seem to be the answer he was hoping for in the slightest. 

“A-all of this… Is for me? No! No-no-this is too much! I can’t accept this-Belle-I-I don’t d-deserve… This… I-I c-can’t…” His hinged jaw remained agape even after the fumbling words that came out died down into a hush of electronic crackle. Not that he needed to say anything when his strange eyes boring into her own revealed all the guilt, sorrow, and disappointment she knew he battled with on things like this. That same sorrow filled her expression alongside him-this hadn’t been the reaction she’d wanted either, and she about dropped everything in her arms to just reach out and wrap him up in them.

Instead her hands tightened around the gifts while inside her heart clenched at how much he believed he deserved so little. Time and time again he’d offered and given so much of himself to her while all he owned was pretty much the worn out clothes on his back…

Well, at least that would be different soon enough.

“Rumple, I told you I can do as I like with the money I earn, but more than that I wanted you to have a wonderful Christmas with me... One that would help to start making up for every one you missed out on and should have been apart of. So don’t tear yourself up over this, please, I wanted this for you-I want to make you happy, okay?” Giving him a confident look, her voice a gentle caress, her imp seemed to at least acknowledge what she said from how he held the gifts a little closer to himself. Undeniably there was a part of him eager to partake in this human custom-to have something that was all his own for a change, and so she had to smirk at him. “Besides, I kept to my side of the deal like we promised-I bought these all before you and I made that vow. So it’s not like there is anything you can do about it now except make me happy as well as yourself and open them later.”

Rumplestiltskin tilted his head at her with a childish pout, returning once more to his usual theatrical antics. “All right… I would be even more ungrateful to not accept what you’ve gone and done for me-whether you’re telling the truth or not. It just doesn’t seem fair that it's only my gifts that are going to be sitting around that tree tonight though...” He gave a dramatic huff from some hydraulic part in this throat, her panicking he'd fallen into one of his sullen moods. But then his eyebrows flew up on their tracks as his arms flourished through the air in a maniac manner she had to doge to avoid. “Good thing I have a solution for that, dearest! Nyeh-nyeh!” 

The abrupt exclamation startled Belle as the animatronic giggled mischievously, turning to the large cabinet near the back wall with pure intention in his gait.

“What do you mean? Wait what are you doing?” Belle asked while watching Rumplestiltskin open one of its doors and began rummaging around inside it.

“Returning the favor in a manner of speaking! It seems there were some others who wanted to surprise you tonight as well.” Rumplestiltskin replied, but when he faced her again the young woman hadn’t been expecting to see the amount of gifts in his arm increase. There were at least three presents that weren’t his, each differently wrapped from one another, and from his coy expression she could glean he had prepared this ‘surprise’ all along. “They were all sitting right there on your desk when I woke up and first came in here after Avonlea closed down.”

Childlike glee filled the young woman’s wide eyes as she set his gifts down near the tree before practically jumping over to him. However, the imp pulled the pristine presents away from her reaching fingers at the last second, emitting a gleeful noise at her frustration.

“Ah-ah-ah! You do know you’re still going to have to wait to open them till later just like me. How delicious! It’ll be my own personal treat to watch you squirm around in such glorious…  _Anticipation_.”

“Even for you that’s far too cruel.” Belle puffed her reddening cheeks for the second time that night, though they deflated soon after. If he was getting a kick out of this why not let him enjoy it for the time being, and fair was fair since he was going to have to wait right beside her for his own. “Unlike you I can be patient, and there’s still so much of our night left with other things for us to do-you know, the stuff you said I  _prattled on_  about so much.”

All right, she probably had gushed too much about their celebration early on, but she did have quite a bit planned to keep them occupied. It was important to her, because she had been resolute in making this night the most memorable one they’d have together-even if he already had a near perfect memory.

And with that settled the two of them finished placing their gifts near their little tree, creating a quaint looking holiday display with array of presents. Of course there was still one final thing missing from this picture-not that Belle’s scaled companion had the slightest clue. The thought of what was to come had her grinning impishly herself behind the edge of her ridiculous bow tie, far from his sight, but the touching reunion would have to wait a while longer... She was going to save him the best surprise for last...

And with a bit of hope it would make her news she’d yet to tell a little more bearable…

Instead of having them both sit there to torture themselves wondering about the contents lurking within those gleaming boxes for the rest of the night Belle went to initiate plan ‘A’. Snagging the last few things she’d brought along in her box she abruptly took Rumplestiltskin by the hand and began to tug him with her to the office door. As pretty as the lights and room was, and how comfy that couch looked about now, they needed to go somewhere specific to participate in this family old tradition of hers.

“My! You just got here and we’re already leaving-where are we going now, dearest?” Rumplestiltskin asked with genuine curiosity in response to her sporadic action. Even without knowing he continued to hold onto her without any signs of letting go, his own grip tightening within hers.

Another memory of Belle’s sparked to life in that moment, bring forth the time he’d lead her through the halls she’d been not near as familiar with to reveal to her his tiny hideout-that same night they’d sat in there together for a couple of hours simply talking and learning about each other. But now how the tables had turned... This time it was the young woman who took him past the office door frame into the dense darkness of the halls she knew by heart at this point. Except with how she was pulling him past the maintenance room, Mr. Getto’s office, and the break room altogether, she could see without looking back the pure confusion that had to be plastered all across Rumplestiltskin's face.

“I could just tell you... But, maybe tonight I just feel like being full of surprises.” Was all Belle said as she kept looking straight on into the pitch black, trying her best not to smile. Even then she felt the shift in their stances when her imp came to walk beside her, the lights of his eyes illuminating their path before them.

"That's good to hear... I quite like surprises-at least the ones involving you." He ushered as he leaned closer to her ear, his more human tone sending a shiver down her spine that made her even more excited for the rest of their long night ahead.

Altogether, thanks to the feeling of his cold hand entwined with her much smaller one, she once again forgot about the fateful ticking of the clock. Her worries, doubts, and burdensome fears all fled as she enjoyed the simple moment of being with her special someone in the peaceful world of Avonlea. Despite the heartache she knew was bound to follow tonight she believed more than ever with him at her side they'd pull through-they'd find a way to overcome all in their way. Their future was just on the horizon, burning bright as the sun would be in the dawning hours on this beautiful Christmas Eve...

And perhaps if she was brave enough that future just might be one with him walking out at her side into that same sunlight...

But Belle French should have known at such a hopeful thought, that things would never would be that simple.


	25. Chapter 25

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As Belle and Rumplestiltskin’s Christmas together continues, baking cookies, sharing stories, and giving their surprise gifts, some personal fears from both surface and come to light… As well as some life altering truths that will put their entire relationship and where it stands to the test.

“You can’t be serious.” 

The baffled electronic voice echoed about the large room, shattering the silence that had overtaken Avonlea in a short amount of time. Not that it changed what was occurring as both he and Belle seemed to have arrived at their 'intended destination'. Despite his confusion Rumplestiltskin remained beside his dearest in the dark space she swiftly rectified by turning on one of the lights hanging above an island. In an instant the bulb lit up with its glow bouncing off the stainless steel appliances and slab tops, forcing the shadows to crawl to the corners of the room.

Yet, after the many numerous nights he’d had spent wondering what he and Belle would share on this most special occasion... This sudden change in plans had not been one of them. Oh, he had expected them to surround the meager tree he'd set up with  _some_  presents-though not the amount she’d far too generously bestowed upon him. He also didn’t doubt the inevitable Christmas stories his bookish knight was bound to share given the season. What he had not been prepared for though was for her to take hold of his frightening hand, leading them from her cozy office and down the hall to the last place he expected. More so she went on her merry way, knowing exactly what she was doing as she weaved between the counter tops.

All the while the glittering imp felt an oddness squirm in his processors at being here with his companion. The only time he and Belle had been in the kitchen together beyond passing through in their strolls had been when they’d first met... When he’d chased her to make her flee like all the other night guards before her-only for her to end up fearing for her life and bleeding on this very floor because of him…

When he’d vowed to never spill human blood again... Another one of his promises he seemed cursed to break no matter how hard he tried.

But, those painful memories he could not and would not forget didn’t seem at all to be on Belle's mind. No, when she turned back to glance at him there was just pure happiness dazzling in those excited blue eyes.

“Come on, I’ve mentioned before this is a common household tradition during the Christmas season. Besides, I checked ahead of time to ensure we could get away with doing it, which we can. Not going to back out on me now are you?” A brow quirked at him in question, his beauty looking rather sure of his answer from the growing smirk upon her features.

Try as he might to not smile in return there was no stoping the twitch at the corner of his faux lips. “Of course I’m not backing out of this, it’s just all seems rather odd… I mean-just... W-well-I’m not made for...” 

The animatronic grew frustrated when his usually witty words stumbled over each other in his poor attempt to explain himself. Yet, he could see she wasn’t going to relent on getting an answer out of him when she propped her hands on her hips and peered up at him. With his sense of foolishness rising Rumplestiltskin gritted his gruesome dagger like teeth, forcing himself to remind her though he was ashamed to.

“I-I won’t be of any use to you in this! I’ve never made anything more than a pot of tea or coffee for you, after watching you make them first! Not to mention I can’t even eat anything we would make, which would be a complete waste of your food...” Both his metal eyebrows drooped on their tracks as the bits of life he could not share with her still bothered him no matter how hard he tried to push them down. The feeling began to swallow him further now that he understood the plan she had been brewing by bringing them here too. His rising suspicion confirmed itself when his alien eyes watched her open her brought along bag and began to dig out baking ingredients of sorts without any tell tale concern of what he’d said.

Instead Belle playfully ‘tsked' at him, reminding him of the many times in Avonlea he’d heard a visiting parent scold a stubborn child. “I know that you can’t enjoy it in the same way I can, but I planned on us making these sugar cookies together for fun. There’s more to the tradition than just the final edible product, and you said you were wanting an authentic experience, so here we are.”

‘Actually, you were the one wanting to make this an authentic experience from the start.' He mused inwardly, but at the same time he could not come up with a single worthwhile rebuttal despite being disheartened about his ‘human’ failings. Not that they ever mattered to her since she always turned an eye to them... Like it was so easy to forget she stood next to a frightening mechanical nightmare than a true man. Something he’d never to be able to understand how she could do.

Sure enough his security guard continued about her business setting out a heaping bag of flour, some granulated sugar, a carton of eggs, and various other supplies. Drawing closer to her side as she did so Rumplestiltskin studied the features framed by the free curls of hair from her ponytail. It was there he noticed the emotion he’d seen since they’d first been reunited tonight out in the snow and in the moments with her around the tree. Still... He couldn’t discern what the confusing array meant that had continued to scratch at his systems in growing worry.

Belle on the other hand was quick to notice his stare and glanced back up at him with a small shine glistening in her gaze. A gleam that told him they were holding something back within their depths.

He didn’t get to inquire as she spoke up out of the blue, her fingers trailing over the counter’s edge nervously. “You know if you don’t want to do this we don’t have to-there’s plenty of other ways we could spend tonight if that would make you feel more comfortable. I just thought making and decorating cookies might be a nice change of pace and be a clever way for us to celebrate given the circumstances... When I was a child I used to have so much fun doing this. I remembered how every year I looked forward to it-so, I guess a part of me hoped I might be able to share that same joy with you.”

At that he found himself loosing his nonexistent heart to those beautiful blue eyes and the wondrous woman they belonged to more than he thought possible. Of course it would be his Belle who would offer such thoughtful things to an inhuman being like him without care... Festivities that he could tell meant a lot to her from just the emotion alone lacing her voice. With the way she kept looking up at him too, as if awaiting his response with baited breath, the animatronic found all his former fears and worries slipping into the crevices of his programming.

Letting out a defeated sigh from a hydraulic piece in this throat the imp shook his head, the motion making his wiry locks cover some of his face. There was no point in trying to deny her eager request despite his limitations, and nor did he want to in all honesty. How could he when any moment spent with his Belle-whether it would be baking things he could not eat or celebrating a holiday he could not properly join in, was a moment well spent in his opinion?

“Very well my stubborn knight, what’s the first thing we need to do then?” Rumplestiltskin asked in a resigned manner much to the surprise of said knight beside him.

“Do what my sorcerer?” Those dark lashes blinked at him-the picture of innocence, yet he could see the edge of a pleased smirk forming on her lips.

Flustered he flung a sharp clawed hand through the air and tittered in jest. “T-To make cookies of course! I have some knowledge on how pizzas are made for the most part, but I think this is a different matter… Now, what do we do first?”

“First..." Belle pondered before tucking a delicate lip between her teeth-the sight sending a jolt of electricity down the mechanical man’s endoskeleton. As if a light bulb had gone off over her head she turned to some adjacent counters and began pulling open drawers as if in search of something. It didn’t take long for to find whatever she was seeking after having spotted them hanging from a hook on a nearby wall. He was a bit surprised though when she whipped back around, holding out two sets of matching aprons that the cooks typically wore on duty. “First thing first we should keep ourselves as clean as we can-let’s just say I have the oddest feeling a certain someone is not going to be able to tonight.”

Without hesitating Belle looped the strap of an apron about the animatronic’s neck, drawing it with care over his frayed orange vest. Rumplestiltskin on the other hand looked down at himself rather appalled while she tied a tidy bow at his back.

“I-I look absolutely ridiculous in this!” His high pitched voice exclaimed-his meager bits of vanity feeling attacked by the navy colored garment. Belle just stood back when she was done to study him with a look of amusement and something else there-something almost...  _Appreciative_ -or longing perhaps. However, he bristled at such a ludicrous idea of her ever feeling such a  _thing_  towards him.

“Well, I don’t want all that hard work you’ve done fixing your vest to go to waste if you’re to make a mess now.” She teased before drawing on her own apron that looked more right and cuter upon her frame-even with that ridiculous bow tie of hers.

“If such a mess were to occur I very much doubt it’ll be because of me.” He pointed out, though he didn’t at all attempt to take the garment off as he joined her at the counter. “So now that we’re all prepared for your inevitable baking disaster what’s next?”

After giving him a short lived scowl Belle returned to her ingredients, more so a recipe book she pulled out that looked like it had aided in many various cooking endeavors due to its yellowed pages. With her spot marked she flipped open to a stained page, trailing her finger over it with a tenderness she reserved for her books. It took a few seconds with her skimming past recipes like ‘shortbread’ and ‘snicker doodles’ before landing on the one labeled ‘sugar cookies’.

“All right, I’ve got all what we need right here to start, so first thing first we’ll need to mix together sugar and bu-Oh no! Did I? There's sugar, flour, vanilla, baking powder, eggs...” Belle’s voice dipped while she looked everything over on the counter-once more in search of something specific. Upon not finding it though she dragged a hand over her weary face and let out a mournful sigh. “I did-I forgot the butter. Which we need otherwise we can’t make the cookies-how could I have left out something so important! I’m sorry Rumple-”

“Ah-ah-ah! Fear not my forgetful knight! There has to be some in one of the fridges, and I’m sure Mr. Getto won’t mind or bother to notice if we used some.” Rumplestiltskin reassured her with a pat on the shoulder, hoping to draw away any of her disappointment. Tonight would be a night full of only joy for her, and he certainly wasn’t going to let something as frivolous as ‘butter’ get in the way of that.

His words seemed to do just the trick when she smiled back at him, if looking a bit more flustered. 

“Thanks… I should have thought of that first, but if you’d go and hunt some down I’ll set the oven to preheat in the meantime.”

With a nod he turned about on his scuffled boots, striding over to the two large fridges of Avonlea’s kitchen. Upon opening the massive appliance he revealed cool shelves before him full of fresh food, large tub of sauces, and pizza related toppings. Even then... The sight was still somewhat intimidating though he had curiously peaked into the fridges a few times before in his years being trapped in the family fun center. What was more odd was how the edible products had always appealed to the machine in a way he didn’t understand-he assumed it was due to too many years observing humans stuff themselves with it on a daily basis... Which may have also lead to an incident far back he dare not mention to his dearest least he lose his remaining pride.

Pushing that embarrassing memory aside the imp kept himself on task considering he didn't have a stomach to be allured by the sight. After a few more moments scouring the upper shelves he grinned in glee, finding something that resembled what he sought in a large container.

“Hope you weren’t needing any  _exotic butters_ for this recipe. All I could find was something called margarine-it says it’s artificial butter...” Rumplestiltskin called out while his sensors picked up the sound of his knight scuffling behind him with a paper bag.

“Oh-that’ll do just fine! The oven is on preheat now so I’m going to start measuring out what we'll need to... Make… The… Batter- ** _ack_** _!”_

The loud rip of paper followed by Belle’s cry of distress caused the animatronic to instantly turn around-

In time to find his vision filled by a plume of white, startling him enough he gave a crackled gasp. 

It was a good thing he didn’t need to breath as he had to fling his hands through the air to divert the mass of white powder before he could see again. When it cleared his sight landed on Belle on the other side of the counter, her hands hovering about a haphazardly torn open bag of flour. Bearing him a sheepish smile she stood there with the remnants of her trouble now coating the tips of her hair, nose, as well as most of the counter space in front of her.

This time Rumplestiltskin was the one to put his hands on his hips to stare amusingly at the security guard. Without being able to see it he could imagine the patches of flour that were sticking to his silicone cheeks, ragged shirt sleeves, and mop of hair too.

“Oh... I tried to open the bag too fast and next thing I knew,  _whoops..._ ” The brightening hue of her cheeks gave away her embarrassment, yet Belle didn't try to stifle her giggle when he scowled at her and tossed the acquired butter onto the counter. “Come on-it’s not that bad-it could have been way worse.”

“Really, dearest! And to think you were ready to blame  _me_  for any messes that were to occur!” Rumplestiltskin trilled an odd short sound after he spoke, moving more towards the island on graceful dancer like steps. “Perhaps you’ve taken recreating the perfect white Christmas a little too far now that we’re buried under an entire bag of flour.” 

Several of his fingers swept over the counter top for extra measure, scooping up a pile that sifted through the segmented digits.

All she did was roll her eyes at him before she reached over to nearby rack to snatch up a hanging hand towel. Quietly he observed her from where he stood as she went to the large sink near the back wall-a gush of a faucet spewing water following shortly, before she returned to his side. Without any forewarning to what she was doing she reached her hand holding the towel towards his face which caused him to flinch back for a second. His system was quick to process what she was doing so he relaxed, leaning into her touch as she trailed the wet cloth over the curve of his scaly cheek. It was still odd how despite not being able to feel he could determine where the tips of her fingers were as they pressed themselves against his facial mechanics... Near causing a needy whimper to build up in his vocal box upon certain areas she darted over.

Even his security guard appeared to notice this pleasure he found in her touch much to his dismay. However, her mouth remained a soft smile when she drifted the towel over his crooked welded on nose and down to his chin, skimming over his faux lips as if an after thought. At that brief contact the mechanical man almost lost it for the second time that night in his heady desire for his little human. With strenuous effort he kept his shaky hands at his sides instead of reaching out of her, his fingers kneading themselves in a frantic manner.

“Don’t worry, I promise I’ll have you back to your usual impish self in no time.” Belle hummed, and the lull of her voice along with the sensation of her about him almost made Rumplestiltskin cry out at how  _right_ he felt with her. Not a single sound escaped his pinched lips though-there was no way he was going to scare her by letting her know how much he enjoyed her gracing him like this... But… If becoming messy meant more moments like these-her caring for him in a manner so tender and foreign to all he’d known, he could foresee himself discarding his preference to be clean from then on.

So entranced by her gentle caress Rumplestiltskin didn’t notice how his metal eyelids grew slack or the dimming glow of his eyes. It wasn't until he sensed the movement of fingers slipping away that he broke free from the spell he’d fallen under. Immediately he mourned the loss of contact as he looked down at his beautiful companion who was looking back with concern tugging at the edge of her mouth. 

“Are you all right Rumple? Did I do something wrong? I really didn’t mean to get you covered in flour-I know washing your hair has to be quite a troubling task…” Guilt laced her voice and in turn caused immense guilt to rise up in his systems from how his cords wriggled inside his hull. Willing himself to be brave he reached for the towel in her grasp-which she relented if with a bit of wonder, before taking it in hand.

“No-no-I’m fine, dearest, the flour truly doesn’t bother me, at least not near that much. You see, no one has taken care of me like that in quite a long time, nor as kindly as you do… I fear that I may be growing spoiled underneath your guardianship.” A giggle escaped him that was far more human in tone before he dared himself to bring the towel up to her face. Doing so Belle did not recoil or look offended from the offer-no, she smiled at him in the way he adored, and it encouraged him to begin to wipe the bits of powder from her forehead. The tidy task felt so natural to do as he worked at a slow pace-familiar in a way he could not hope to explain. Then again since they’d first met he’d felt the urge to take care of her grow more and more-the need to provide for her too-to stand alongside her-to lov…

Of course he stopped himself there. Even now with her like this he could not forget that this was as far as he could care for her...

And this-right here, was all they could ever be. 

Despite the somber reminder the imp forced it back down as he focused more of his efforts upon the curve of Belle’s nose, the cut of her jaw line, and the perfect pale skin he revealed from beneath the troublesome flour. All the while his charge remained pleasant for him in those long quiet moments they shared. Her own blue eyes started to look heavy under his ministrations, making him question what it was she was thinking behind them... What did she truly feel while being touched by a thing like him in such a manner? Realizing that if he took too much time cleaning her up it would just make her uncomfortable Rumplestiltskin forced himself to finish the job despite how he wanted nothing more than to hold her so close for the rest of the night.

“Ah, what an unexpected surprise-there is a night guard under there after all!” The childish declaration filled the room when he pulled the cloth back-not before giving the beauty one last dab on the tip of her nose. That earned him a chuckle as Belle awoke from the daze that had overtaken her, her lidded eyes flickering open.

“Thank you for that Rumple, you didn’t have to clean me up considering I was the one that caused you trouble first.” Regardless his night guard beamed at him in gratitude as he finally noticed after having been so lost to his work that her nimble hands had found their way upon his chest.

Rumplestiltskin-stricken again by how easy it was for her to touch him, managed to catch the gasp he felt rise up before turning to his usual theatrics. “N-Now don’t go thanking me just yet! The night is still young, and who knows what might happen next-you might find yourself in a worse mess than before. Though I suppose that’s only the case if you still have enough flour left for actually making cookies.”

“Despite what you may think I have plenty enough left over-as long as you’re willing to trust me not to cause another ‘baking’ disaster as you called it.” With that teasing reply her hands fell away to cross over Belle’s chest defiantly.

“That I can do, though I feel I should thank you now for getting us these aprons-looks like we are going to need them.” Rumplestiltskin quipped in nervousness while a flippant finger danced about for added effect.

That warranted him an immediate flick against the nose-the resulting ‘tink’ of her finger another small break in the silence around them. Not that he minded at all while he rubbed at the unfeeling slab in feign hurt. For when Belle turned back to the counter he saw the grin she couldn’t conceal blossom across her face.

Together then, with most of themselves now flour free, they returned to the tradition at hand-artificial butter and all. Like earlier with Belle decorating their humble little tree Rumplestiltskin found himself all too quickly getting caught up in the moment with her. Right away he managed to prove his culinary worth despite his previous claims by taking note of the recipe and its measurements with his photographic memory. From then on the poor book lay casted off to the side while he informed the security guard on how just much vanilla needed to go into their working batter or the ratio of baking powder to flour. Of course Belle got her turn to tease him when she offered him to crack the delicate white eggs… Due to his unfeeling hands never having handled such a thing the whole egg splattered into a liquified mess in his grip before it hit the bowl... Which forced his dearest to dig out the bits of shell while her hardly contained laughter echoed through the entire room.

After that he allowed her to handle the rest of them, watching from the sidelines and trying his best to not to let her see him pout.

Luckily he got to redeem himself from his blunder when the bowel of heavy dough became too much for the young woman’s arms to handle stirring for so long. Thanks to his mechanical limbs he took over without a problem, earning her wondrous praise that made him bear a jagged toothy smile. By the time they were working on rolling out the fine mixture, both of them a bit sticky much to his chagrin, the oven beeped at them that it was ready to start baking. Both human and machine took Belle’s various cookie cutters then, slicing through the dough to make some rather amusing shapes-even if he didn’t entirely understand what they all were.

Of course his knowledgable companion was quick to change that when she saw him scrutinizing them. Just like he had foreseen she soon began delving into a tale about a 'reindeer' with a glowing red nose that saved Christmas and other silly stories of that nature. In honesty, he had to roll his eyes a few times as the holiday remained strange and nonsensical in his systematic mind-not that he minded really. Despite nitpicking her about things like a 'magical hat' that could bring a snow man to life- _how_   _preposterous_ -the animatronic smiled at his dearest all the while, enjoying how passionate she was in telling him these things.

It was in this time they soon found themselves with a tray full of cookies just waiting to be baked-from sleighs, holiday bells, to Christmas tree shaped ones. With care the security guard put their laden tray into the oven, appearing to savor the rush of hot air it produced for a moment before setting the timer for a good ten minutes-forgetting she had a walking talking timer beside her. Regardless, they’d taken care to work on cleaning up while they’d been making the dough so with nothing else to do in the mean time Belle pulled out two stools at one end of the counter, patting the other for him to come join her. Swiftly Rumplestiltskin accepted, ending up with both of them sitting down side by side-their legs pressed against one another in a manner that continued to make his gears twist.

However, a sudden shiver stole over Belle that he couldn’t not notice as she was quick to rub at the goosebumps pebbling on her arms.

“Are you too cold in here, dearest?” Rumplestiltskin asked with an owlish tilt of his head, already preparing himself to go fetch her jacket if need be. Before he could move an inch her hand shot out to stop him, grasping his larger scaly one resting atop the counter without hesitation. Just as always the dainty thing looked so stark against the sickly green gold hue of his metal hand-one that had to be just as freezing than the room itself.

“I’m only a bit chilly-it's my fault though. I should have thought better than to wear a short sleeved shirt to work on a day like today, but I’ll be fine for now.” Belle replied in a low humorous tone, yet it was far louder now in the animatronic's sensors with how close they were sitting. For a few moments she said nothing more than that-the room filling with just the hum of the oven, faint traces of the storm outside, and the rush of the air leaving her lungs before she drew in another. It marveled him how much he found the sounds of her breathing soothing-a constant reminder she was well and alive, but when she spoke back up she sounded much softer and serious than before. “You know how I told you earlier about how I use to do this every Christmas? Well, it’d always been with my mother during the holidays when she was still around. To be honest, I haven’t even celebrated this way ever since the year she…”

There Belle stopped, not that she needed to continue when he knew well what she meant to say. His gentle illuminating gaze lidded in true sorrow for her despite how she did not look directly at him but at the wall-more so beyond it-to the things he knew she kept deep within too. A part of him desperately longed to bring her closer to him than they were at seeing that much sorrow grace her lovely face... It wanted to be able to soak up that hurt lingering in her spirit and whatever else it was that was bothering her so far tonight that she'd not spoken of. Such a pain like that was hers and hers alone though, as he couldn’t take that from her-couldn't force her to speak of it nor could he make her forget... Because that pain was a part of her as much as her precious breath, her blue eyes, and wonderful laughter.

But... Like he had done a long time ago when she’d been a wee small thing crying upon that old stage...

Perhaps, he could help her remember something else too.

“Why don’t you tell me more about them Belle.” Rumplestiltskin spoke after a minute of contemplative silence, surprising her with the way she turned to look at him. With their hands still touching he found his bravery once more as he curled his clawed fingers about her fragile flesh in a protective and reassuring manner. “Tell me some memories of your past Christmases with her, I would love to hear them. I’d tell you my own in return-fair is fair after all, but considering that this is my first true Christmas you've already seen first hand all that I've experienced so far.”  
  
At this request Belle seemed a bit breathless-lost as to what to do as her tongue dabbed at her lips for a second that instantly drew the attention of his amber eyes.

“Oh, well, if you really want to know-it was nothing too different than what I imagine other families do-except in Australia the holiday is towards the start of summer-no white Christmases there like we have here.” There the knight he knew gave a soft short lived laugh, leaning closer to the sorcerer with their shoulders flushed against one another. “Still, we’d be tucked away in the kitchen for most of the day before, just us baking treats while the hours went by, and putting together a gingerbread house that was always different then the years before. My dad would join in too-taking us caroling with the local community, putting up the tree, however he was so bad about baking day. Most of the time he would try to sneak in and get a few cookies before they were done cooling or getting decorated, and my mom. Oh-she’d get so mad at him! She would almost always catch him in the act-I even remember one time she had to chase him out of the room with a spatula!”

That gorgeous laughter of hers began to peel forth then, alighting in Rumplestiltskin's chest mechanics a sensation that could only be a fraction of the joy she felt. The mottled animatronic observed such happiness with aid from his own yellow light while the young woman brushed at her cheeks as if it could help fight off the red spreading across her skin. It only made him smile more at the thought of such memories that could elicit that remarkable laugh he always tried his best to rouse... Memories he could not relate to or understand in the slightest... Of what it was like to have loved ones and such personal traditions to share with one another.

Not until she came around of course and changed every bit of his lonesome world.

That, however, he kept to himself in fear of how she would ever react to knowing he considered her part of his  _'family’_ , if something like him could ever be allowed to have one... And with her he wanted that so badly and so much more. Never had he thought his own idea of a 'happy ending' would ever grow beyond his simplest whim given all that he was, but it had since he'd come to know her. Much like her own ending she'd spoken of over the phone his own now consisted of the beautiful image of a life always beside her, a home for the two of them, the chance to find the forgotten boy to keep his long lost word… Of a place where he could belong beyond this stone structure.

However, he knew that was too good for the likes of him with all the blood and horror rusting within his innards. He knew that-he knew- _he_   _knew_...  
  
But maybe...  _Just_   _maybe_...

Quickly the machine shook his head at his rising longings and closed his eyelids to submerge the spark of pain-whether real or not, that they elicited. When he opened them again he found his curious night guard glancing at him with a series of questions blazing back. They made him panic instinctively-it would be easy to change the topic to avoid it all by throwing on his masks, leaving his stark misery where it should remain-his and his alone. He was about to do that, recollecting his previous promise that tonight was a night for her to be happy-  
  
Then her other hand came a top his, and he was enwrapped in her-lost to her touch more than ever before. With a single gesture she tore apart his already crumbling walls as his voice began spilling free the thoughts he thought he could bare alone, especially on a night like this.

“It sounds like your holidays were quite the sight to behold-your mother valiantly brandishing a spatula about the house and all. Truly, that was nice to hear, you have such lovely memories, Belle... I can’t imagine what it is like to have such things to look back fondly upon…" Rumplestiltskin's brogue crackled at the end, yet he pushed forward upon seeing the sky blue peering back into him-through him-to the him beneath the horrible silicone, metal, and wires. “I… I wish I did-when I remembered back on my years here or when I try to remember the things I’ve been forced to forget, but I fear if the day does come when I do r-remember… Whatever it is that’s been locked away deep down inside of me… I won’t have anything wonderful like that to look upon... Ah, perhaps some things are just best left forgotten.”

The laugh that shortly left him was horribly hollow, void of any true happiness, and his beauty sensed that with the way her grip tightened.

“You know I count myself lucky for all the good memories I had with her outweighing all the bad ones, but still-you do not know that about your past to be absolutely true! While I know that you can’t remember much of him perhaps with that boy you’ve mentioned knowing once-maybe you did have some wonderful Christmases together years ago or other good memories too. I don’t see how he couldn’t have when you’re involved because looking back on our own short time together I can recall so many great moments you've shared and given me-memories I wouldn't trade the world for...”

Those heartfelt words of hers stunned him into pure silence, his gears seemed to stop too in his utter amazement of the woman beside him. Honestly, he'd never thought of it that way before-didn't dare to... He'd always expected the worse given it was all that he'd known for over well over twenty five years... What if she was right though? After all that wasn't the case for him now- not anymore-not when the greatest thing in his life gazed at him with such thoughtfulness, truly believing in what she'd told him and sparking his own hopes in return.

It was hard... So very hard dealing with the inner struggle storming within his code-of what he could and couldn't have-of what he wanted and yet told himself along with the world was not meant to be.

When she looked at him like that though...

He wanted to believe.

"Well, that's what I think anyways-I hope I wasn't being too presumptuous there." As if realizing what she'd just done a flushed Belle shifted her gaze down to their joined hands, her fingers brushing against his scales embedded into the green gold hull.  “Though I do hope that maybe after tonight you’ll have a least this one holiday memory to look back happily upon till you ever do get back all you've lost. It’s not much of a Christmas-I know, or really a good memory, baking cookies and telling you stories probably seems a pretty boring way to celebrate-”

“No, I’m not bored-I could never be when I am with you!” The imp interrupted her, drawing nearer to her that it caused their noses to brush on accident from the movement. Wide eyed Belle stared back at him for a long moment before Rumplestiltskin hastily jerked back, feeling once again mortified at her enduring his horrid face being so close let alone his icy touch. Not that she looked like she’d minded it now or the other night-perhaps-perhaps she truly could- _no_ -that was one thing he just couldn't allow himself to believe! “Y-You've made my life anything except boring-and-I-I promise you I will look back on this night with you and think nothing but utter joy for the rest of my existence-so long as you don't feel the need to-to pelt me with flour again!"

For a long moment the security guard just sat there after his rambling, her features baring a mixture of emotions he couldn't quite uncover. Not until her twitching lips turned upwards into a gorgeous expression, mirth dancing in her darkened eyes.  
  
“Now, now, I can't promise you that as the night is young and there’s so much left for us to do before it’s over. Who knows what will happen..." A hint of mischief laced Belle's tone then, making him smile further despite her rather messy implications. "I do hope in the future that this isn’t the only good memory we've made so far or that you have to look back upon. After all Christmas comes once every year, and we’ll have so many more to celebrate tog-”

Abruptly, as if a switch had been flipped, all the joy and happiness he saw in his beloved then disappeared without a trace.

Staring out ahead, with something he dared to call fear sparking in her eyes, she remained frozen in place upon her stool. Worse, her breathing appeared to have stopped altogether-like all the air had been taken from the room. Instantly her reaction worried him-he'd not seen such a look on her face in a long time, but then his mind recollected the glimpses of dark emotions he'd seen outside when they met and around the tree. They were bare now here, clearer than before-telling him the truth when she seemed determined not to-

That something was wrong... Very wrong indeed.

Desperate to know and to make such a terrible look cease crossing her face he moved his other hand to clasp her own, only to find it hanging in the air as she pulled away before he could. Facing away from him now the concerned animatronic could only see a glimpse of the young woman's features that she went about rubbing at with her arm. Forced to sit by, unsure at all what to do, he reached slowly out for her shoulder only to stop himself short in fear. Yet, she was quick to look back at him with one eye more lidded than the other as both glistened in a way that hinted of unshed tears.

“A-Ah… I’m sorry-I think I just got some left over flour in my hair into my eye there.” She stated as if she felt rather silly to share that with him before brushing at her eyes again and taking a steady breath that did little to steady him. Despite Belle's attempt to hide her emotions Rumplestiltskin had seen too much to be lead astray... He was just not brave enough to address it, making him curse at himself for his constant cowardice.

Instead he shifted his gaze to the strands of her hair had strayed from her ponytail during their strange yet welcome night so far. Warily he lifted a hand towards her face, and like before she didn't recoil from his nearing fearsome claws or inhuman countenance. However, there was something different this time as he with great care inched forward, tucking the runaway locks behind her ear. Not too long ago he'd done this same thing, right before she'd kissed him on the cheek for the very first time, and at that time she'd stared at him shock... But now...  _Now_...

_“My silly noble knight… What ever am I going to do with you.”_  He couldn't help but whisper, the longings inside not able to conceal themselves within his more human voice.

Just when she looked to say something, stirring his insides back to life at her parting lips, he swiveled upon mechanical compulsion towards the oven that immediately began to beep in time. That spooked the security guard, however, as she jumped with a squeak, causing her stool to rattle against the tiled floor.

'"Just the timer-ah-our baked goods are done!" Rumplestiltskin stated out loud as whatever enchantment had befallen them both this time had disappeared with the shrill cry. Getting up off her stool in a flash Belle nabbed at nearest oven mitts and began to work on pulling out the laden tray now covered in perfectly golden brown cookies. With a smile that was more shy than usual she brought it back over to their counter to place the treats on the cooling rack.

Like what occurred hadn't all they were abruptly brought back to their celebration, though what lingered unsaid between them continued to torment the machine as he got up to join her.

"Since you just asked what you're going to do with me I have something in mind..." She brought up much to his surprise, making him glad his own golden complexion could not get toasty like the cookies she dished out. In turn Belle's cheeks flared to life once more as she understood the implications what she'd said-quick to point at all the remaining ingredients before them as if a needed distraction. “-I mean we still need to decorate the cookies after all.”

At that offer he didn't complain or argue, for he was looking forward to experiencing the rest of this new tradition with her and whatever came later... Even if the sorrow and pain he'd just seen still haunted his mind and laced the edges of her lowered eyes.  Still, he couldn't force himself to bring it up again despite how much he wanted to. All he could do was brush it aside like everything else as he remained by her while she went about showing him how to mix up some colorful icing that tempted her to taste test it several times-with adorable success. All the while he could see how she continued to try and cover up what she was feeling like the cookies both of them were soon smothering with wispy frosting.

Rumplestiltskin only sighed to himself, no matter what he would not press his dearest if she didn't offer him the truth willingly. Especially considering how she had never pressed him on the things he didn’t wish to dwell or speak upon it was the least he could do.

Part of him hoped with plenty of their night remaining he could make her feel better and distract her-like he was programmed to do as an animatronic. The promise he'd made lurched back up from his flittering systems then, encouraging him to nudge her in a playfully in the ribs that got him a soft laugh and curious glance. Yes, this would be a night he'd make sure she'd spend as happy as she could be… A night free from the cold darkness or unknown future lingering outside Avonlea's doors.

And being the trickster he was Rumplestiltskin thought of no better way than to sneakily take a dab of some of the red icing she'd just made. All it took was waiting for the perfect moment to strike when she turned to another bowl before he got to smear her clean cheek in a long glob that got him an instant response.

_“Ack! Rumple! Really?!"_

_"I say-I think blue would look much better on you than the red! Perhaps I should give that a try too!”_

_"Oh is that so?! If that’s the case-then-let's see how you look in yellow then!”_

Moments later the human and machine's laughter resumed whole heartily about the kitchen-their sounds of delight and be it playful frustration resonating through the empty dark spaces. Yet, Rumplestiltskin decided he'd do whatever it took to make her smile even if it meant becoming covered in icing from the top of his head to the tip of his boots. Nothing was more worthwhile than to make her giggle as she did now-to stop whatever painful thing harbored within her from tainting her special night. Chasing her about the rows of counters, with their cookies momentarily forgotten as red and blue and other colored icings soon splattered the floors and themselves, he became more resolute in his vows than ever before.

No, he would not let anything ruin this night for her...  Nothing at all.

—————

Much to Belle's dismay the absolutely wonderful night she was having had to move by as the two peculiar souls found their time in the kitchen coming to an end.

After the very last cookie had been decorated, their aprons put away, and their entire mess cleaned up-the icing having found some interesting spots across the tiles as well as Belle’s face, the tired security guard and animatronic retreated to her office to resume their night. As they strolled she couldn’t help but admire their treats, commenting over them and adoring Rumplestiltskin's flickering smiles after teasing him for starting the frosting fight. When they entered her welcoming space still lit up by the array of blinking lights they quickly ended upon on the comfy couch, nestling in side-by-side. She noticed that right away, for unlike most nights they were easily going about easily touching one another. Emboldened by this Belle rested her head on her imp’s plated shoulder while he drew her close, draping the blanket she’d brought about them both.

In this welcomed peace of Avonlea, the wind outside having died down to a mere whisper through the walls, they chose to read further from the fairytale book Henry had gifted them. Once more he made it clear he was not the biggest fan, disbelieving of the ending to 'The Frog Prince' and in turn a bit surprised at the morbidness in the original telling of 'Rapunzel'. Of course Belle had to share some true classics for the holiday too, like ‘The Night Before Christmas’ and ‘A Christmas Carol’-the later he made her snort during by rattling his legs to sound like ghostly chains. Between those two tales they took time to do a run of the building together though-after all she had a job to still do. But, by the time they had finished the last story she’d eaten a few too many cookies and drank a good portion of the now lukewarm tea. 

With a full belly, warmth soothing her frigid form, and the voice of her companion she was snuggled up to cooing in her ear it was hard to keep her tired eyes open. Yet, despite with the burdensome news she’d come to face within that day that laid heavy on her soul... In that very moment with him, she realized she was more than just enjoying herself tonight with cookies, chatter, and company…

In fact, it was the happiest she’d ever been… In many, many years.

The thought caused her gaze to peel itself off the closed book in her lap to the machine whose gears were clattering within his chest. It should have been no surprise to find him looking back, but her quickened breath hitched in her throat when their eyes met. Funny enough Rumplestiltskin was all huddled around her as if he was seeking reprieve from the cold too, all while bearing her a gaze she thought made him look...  _Content,_  with this-her being pressed tight against him. In honesty she was too despite his form being rigid and hard as she was savoring the heat produced by his upper body. Better yet the happiness he’d had displayed through most of their night was still there from the way his smile creased the age lines of his face along with a peace he usually never had from how he always seemed to be moving in some manner. Not even the metal fingers curled around her waist were twitching, just his thumb brushing her side in small soothing circles.

Her hand seemed at equal ease on the bit of his inhumanly colored chest peering his vest she hadn’t been aware it’d crept to again. Those fingers of hers flickered to life then, helpless in their urge to trace the bumps of the metal beneath that seemed to set her mechanical man’s systems off with how intense his stare became. Belle's blue eyes widened alongside his, surprised at this burst of boldness to caress him there of all places. Then again there had been a shift in the air between them as of late-felt more so strongly tonight than ever before.

It only made her wonder what he would do if she were to dive beneath his clothes and run her fingers across his barren plates. Would he push her away or would he draw her closer-seeking out her touch? The mere notion was flush inducing and yet far too tempting in her yearning desire for him...

Alas, her opportunity to test that idea was unfortunately cut off as a sudden chime began resounding through her office. Clicking in their sockets Rumplestiltskin's glowing eyes shifted their gaze up to the wall where her vision soon followed, there the clock above her desk she’d been trying to avoid all night displayed that it was now five in the morning.

With that the dreamlike sensation slipped away along with her hand, leaving Belle’s heart to thud dully within her chest.

“M-my the night has gone by so quick… I wish we had just a little longer to spend together.” Rumplestiltskin murmured in a way that made her think it had meant to remain a thought given his habit to talk out loud. However, she had to assume from his displeased expression that he too was growing to disdain the clock and everything else seeming to interrupt them. “I suppose we still have one more important event left to do before we can call the night over, though I’m sure you’re more than excited to get out of here and spend the rest of your holiday with your loved ones.” A titter quickly left his lips as he launched forward, though it was short lived-a farce, leaving Belle’s insides to twist further when she sat up beside him.

“Rumple-” The young woman tried to grab his hand-it helped when he got like this, but he was flourishing his arms about as he continued.

“Or would it be more fun waiting to open them till the very end? Perhaps, we should sing some carols you mentioned having done so in your youth in the meantime-I bet you’ve just been waiting to indulge such holiday antics!” He snickered as he got up to his feet and began almost stretching his mechanical joints. Belle had to roll her eyes at his turned back while he tugged back on his leather coat he’d discarded most of the night for her comfort while she escaped the cocoon of her blanket to join him near the Christmas tree.

“Very funny, but I know you can’t wait any longer either-I’ve seen how you’ve been taking glances at your gifts most of the night.” All she got in return was a sheepish smile, causing her own forced irritation to fall apart to with a quiet sigh. She’d been no better about taking glancing peaks too, he’d poked her a few times after catching her while they were reading.

Not wanting to waste their precious time left the beauty found a good spot and sat down on the carpeted floor near their pile of presents. The animatronic joined her shortly, sitting across from her before they swiftly had their stacks divided amongst them thanks to their crafty fingers longing to delve past all that tantalizing wrapping paper. It was then Belle got her first chance to looking over her three, finding first that the smallest one was from Mr. Getto, which was sweet he’d even given her one. The next present was from none other than Sheriff Graham, which made the dimples of her cheeks deepen- _'not_   _on_   _hand'_ he’d said… _Clever_. To her surprise though the last one didn’t have a name at all or whom it was addressed to-not a single a tag on the top or bottom no matter which way she turned it over.

“Now who should go first, or do we both just open them all at the same time?” Rumplestiltskin inquired after studying over his stack too, his claws toying with one sporting a curly bow.

“Hmmm… You have the most out of the two of us and since this is your first Christmas I think you should go first.” Belle stated after a moment of thought, already prepared for the rebuttal she knew was trying to pass those parting green gold lips. “And no-I won’t relent on that. Truthfully, I want to see you open yours more than I want to open mine, and there’s nothing you can do to change my mind.” 

“I-if you say so, dearest…” He mumbled towards the floor in quick defeat, yet from how bad he was fidgeting Belle was sure he was about to get over his mild disappointment.

The young woman watched as her companion glanced back over his stack of gifts, eyeing them up as if having a hard time making up his mind on which to pick first. Finally after a few moments of silence he chose a thin and tall box that had her biting her lip to keep back a giddy sound. Giving her a nervous glance-as if asking permission to proceed, Belle nodded, fearing if he took too much longer she’d start opening them for him herself. With her approval his fearsome hands tore through the paper so fast that it all lay in scraps before he was opening the crisp white box.

It was when he brushed aside the thin decorative paper covering the items within that he let out any kind of sound. His sigh of sorts escaped his plated throat, one far more reverent in tone than she’d ever heard. Belle’s poor heart pounded with heated emotions at it, but the look on his face when he pulled the garment out caused it to drum loudly in her ears.

Holding it up for them both to see he revealed a new vest for him-one that was similar and yet somewhat different than what he wore. It was made of dark leather without such a high rising collar though it still sported a deep cut on the neck with ties instead of buttons that went down the stomach and sides. The black scale like pattern across it gleamed, shifting in the amalgamation of lights from his now unsteady hands. Against Rumplestiltskin’s unusual tone the material looked even better than she imagined when she had ordered it a month earlier, reflecting his ‘reptilian’ qualities and looking every bit to be worn by his impish form. However, it wasn’t the only thing inside that box, and he soon found the rest, pulling out a pair of matching leather pants that were so new she could smell the material from where she sat.

Eventually he managed to tear his gaze away to peer at her in pure disbelief , causing Belle’s blush to worsen alongside her painfully wide grin.

“So… Do you like them?” Her voice sounded hoarse to her own ears, but the words appeared to reach him from how he stuttered in response.

“Y-yes… I-I do Belle.” Setting his new trousers down his dark talons traced up the leather of the vest as he looked to the articles of clothing like such things couldn’t exist. “It’s… Lovely… So very l-lovely-I never imagined getting anything so incredible ever-I-I think… I think I’ll p-put them on right now.”

“Wait! You have more gifts to open up first, and then if you want you can go and get changed.” Belle pointed out in a hurry, stopping him from hopping straight up to his feet and rushing out of the room to adorn his new clothes like she could see him longing to do. Oh, she wanted to see him in them herself-perhaps too much from how her stomach fluttered at the thought. The beauty just didn’t know if she could handle having to wait for him to open the rest. However, euphoria darted across the machine's face when seemed to understand he had more wonderful things awaiting him in the rest.

With that he carefully set aside his new garments, and then, well-

Those boxes didn’t stand a chance.

Tearing hastily into the others Rumplestiltskin’s childlike joy only escalated with each rip of crisp wrapping paper while the young woman watched. The wonderful scene made her smile further-it’d been so hard to stop shopping for him when she found an amazing source online with clothes befitting him a while back. For along with his new leather trousers and vest Rumplestiltskin was soon opening a box that revealed more clothing. Inside this smaller present was a golden silk shirt with the shoulders already cut-an odd request for the seller no doubt, to match with his old orange vest. At the sight of it her imp began making small glorious electronic cries he didn’t realize he was emitting, but they made Belle giggle behind one hand alongside him. 

With a wild ferocity he turned to his second to last gift, the biggest box she’d given him, tearing straight through it to showcase a pair of knee length boots. That alone had him sputtering about in incoherent tittering that almost had her fearing his vocal wiring had gone awry again. To her relief he was more than fine as he roved his large hands up and over the boots in awe. While these were ones without the troublesome lacing as the ones strapped to his feet they were pointed and sporting a bit of a heel just how he liked.

It was when he went to open the last gift, the only one she was a little nervous about, that his whole energetic and overwhelmed reaction changed in a mere instant. 

As if a wave had washed over him he peeled back the little pieces of the paper, slowly pulling out the final addition to his updated wear. It was a cravat of a similar dark purple color to his shirt, glinting from the black metallic flecks embedded into the spider web like material. It’d caught her eye the moment she’d seen it, she’d always felt his outfits were lacking just one small thing to complete their whole effect. At first it seemed she’d done right picking it out too... Though now, maybe not with how his previous joy was being replaced by a haunted expression that glazed over the two amber spheres pinned upon the accessory. Belle could tell memories or flashes of something long ago had to be racing through his data banks, wrenching him far from this space and the delicate lace his trembling claws were starting to dig into.

“Rumple? Are you okay? Are-are you about to suffer a fit? Rumple-” Belle called out to him, hoping to coax him back from whatever dark place he was being dragged towards. The possibility of him becoming overwhelmed by the broken part of him was still something that she greatly feared, and it didn’t help when continued to not respond. In fact, when his head began to twitch sporadically her worried expression turned to one of dread with her reaching over to grab hold of his slack arm.

At her immediate touch Rumplestiltskin returned, his head jerking up to meet hers as if he found himself suddenly lost. Yet, the sorrow she saw remained in the tension of his curled fingers clenching the poor cravat she feared it'd tear. “I’m sorry-I'm-I’m all right, dearest. This-every-very-thing you’ve bought me, went out of your way to g-get… It’s really too much-you spent too much on me-I don’t know how I could ever repay you-”

“I didn’t spend too much, and I wouldn’t go back and stop what I did either-no repayment required as well. Seeing you happy is more than enough for me.” Belle was quick to inform him, keeping her hand on his arm before she tilted her head. The act spilled her rich curls over her shoulders while she observed him with genuine concern from beneath her lashes. “Do you like it though? I was uncertain buying that cravat till I realized your new vest and outfit almost seemed to be missing something, and I thought it looked like-well, like you…”

Astonishment turned to her in his unblinking gaze, leaving behind a warmth she found heating her skin far more than anything else had.

“I do like it-it’s perfect. In fact I used to have something similar once, far back in my early days here… I wouldn’t have called it a gift since Marco put it on me- he didn't 'give’ it to me, but it was a nice brooch shaped like a spinning wheel pinned to a cravat similar to this.” Rumplestiltskin stated gently, though his voice trailed off as the cravat began to slip between his digits like the flour from earlier. “In the end though it got c-completely ruined because of me, like everything that crosses my path…”

There was something there in what he said-something far more to his resigned tone and story that made Belle think to the final letter Mr. Getto had written to ZOSO sitting in her breast pocket. He once had a cravat similar to this one and then it was ruined-how? Did... Did this bit of information have something to do with the terrible event he was involved in back in ’87? Or was there something far more to this that perhaps even he didn’t completely understand? Whether that was the case or not Belle forced back such dreadful thoughts of what little she knew of that terrible dark day haunting her dearest friend. Tonight was a night for them to be happy together and far from such things…

'That is... Until I have to admit what I've been keeping from...' Her mind chose to painfully reminded her in that moment-of the awaiting truths she couldn't escape. 'I know-I know... But not yet-not now... For a little while longer I just want to remain with him like this.'

“Come here.” Belle demanded suddenly as she let go of him, earning her a nervous frown though the mechanical man scooted forward to her open hands anyways.

Taking the cravat from his claws with great care she motioned for him to lean forward so that when he did she could wrap it about his neck behind his high collar. After tying it together, her hands brushing the soft edges of his coiled hair, she nestled the ends into the cut of his vest. Pleased with how right it looked on his person her hands went from smoothing it to the sides of his hinged jaw, lifting his head on its pivot back up to meet hers.

There she found an array of fear, worry, and shame creasing the artificial age lines of his face. However, with just a brush of her thumb she watched it begin to thin away, smoothing out his furrowed wrinkles into a much softer expression she adored. Part of her couldn't help but ponder as to what he thought then when she touched him like this-if he found more than just comfort in what he'd be without for so long. Despite not having an answer she kept holding him, feeling far too heightened by this powerful sensation that he alone stirred within her to let him go. 

“You’ll just have to prove that theory wrong with this one, and even if this one does somehow get ruined we can just get you another one, okay?”

At her reply one of his hands lifted up to touch the frilly material, grazing her heated flesh as he murmured. “I… I-I will do my best to take care of these. I really will, Belle. Thank you… I…”

The raw emotion in his voice alongside how close they were again beneath the array of pretty lights-lights that danced across his sparkling metal, made her more convinced on how right and natural it would be to kiss him. With it a rising passion-wild, powerful, and freeing began coursing through all of her limbs as her pleading heart begged her to do so. But, when lips started to lean towards him they were met with thin air as Rumplestiltskin quickly withdrew from her hands, siting back in his previous spot.

“N-Now-I’ve had my fun, and I’d very much like to go put these on, but it’s your turn dearest… And I’m rather curious to see what your gifts are too.” Hearing him sound so awkward-his hands fiddling with his new accessory, only made Belle feel embarrassed by the constant urge consuming her to touch him. Still, she gave him a small nod in agreement, hoping she could distract herself with her stack of mysterious gifts awaiting her now.

Starting with the one from Mr. Getto the security guard began to rip the paper in a similar ferocity to her sorcerer. After peeling away the final bits of tape she revealed the weighty object in her hands to be a lovely picture frame with an even lovelier picture inside it. It was of her and her father at the Christmas party just hosted at the family fun center, making her vaguely recall someone with a camera asking them for a quick snapshot that night. Still, this was far more thoughtful of a gift than she expected, and she told herself to be sure to thank her employer later for such a kind gesture... Whenever in the future that might be. In the meantime Belle shared the frame with her companion, who looked at it with a wide mischievous smile she wasn’t sure about-almost like he knew something she didn’t…

That was also tucked away to think on later while she moved onto her other gifts.

Next was the present from Graham, and upon adding to the growing pile of destroyed paper she revealed a book she’d mentioned to Ruby she’d been wanting. Of course Rumplestiltskin just giggled at such a predictable gift, though she saw how he tried to read over the back's synopsis with increased interest of his own. It was then she was left to the last gift of the night-the one she still could find no name of who it was from. Figuring since it’d been left on her desk she was safe to assume it was meant for her Belle shrugged and began to dig into it just like all the others.

After a few moments of struggling to get to the sturdy box a scrap of paper slipped out without her notice from the lid when it popped open. The mechanical man saw it instead, snatching it up while Belle worked on removing the ridiculous amount of tissue paper she couldn’t believe had all been shoved into the box. It was either very fragile whatever she’d been gifted or the unknown giver had some fun packing it all in.

“Looks like there is a note for that one after all, dearest! It says, ‘For my bookish friend, hope this helps spice up your holidays this year! From you know who, Ruby’… Ah, Ruby-she’s that wild waitress friend of yours you’ve mentioned a few times-the one that works at this ‘Granny’s' everyone seems to eat at.” Rumplestiltskin stated as he chattered on from the scrap of paper. It wasn’t that Belle didn’t hear all he said-she heard him loud and clear, but her mind was far too distracted trying to process what on earth she was looking at that.

When she realized what it was, the bunch of lace and thin fibrous material having confused her at first, the chilly room became absolutely stifling.

What lay inside the innocent looking box was what she feared and not near as innocent. Before her was a blue lingerie set of a matching top and panties so not meant to conceal anything from any person’s view that one couldn’t hardly call it clothing. It was such an intimate looking set too that her saucer sized eyes felt ashamed to even gaze upon it, and yet, they could not tear themselves away... They couldn’t from the knowledge of who sent it and what its clear intention was for as Ruby had told her right to her face that it’d be for her to wear in hopes to allure a certain someone her friend believed that she was-

“Well-what on earth is it? You’re being oddly quiet there!” Belle’s head jerked back up with a snap when that certain someone's nasally voice chirped at her in question. Looking Rumplestiltskin dead on while knowing what resided just beneath the lid out of his view caused the rampant images she was trying to prevent to spring forth into her mind without abandon. In flashes she imagined herself wearing these revealing garments in the cozy space of her apartment, lying across her bed in a soft yellow light produced by the pair of glowing eyes looking into her own. Eyes that revealed every inch of her form to his gaze alone while a pair of large metal hands roamed over her flushing flesh that trembled beneath his touch-

For a moment the images felt far too real within her mind that when she snapped out of it she slammed the box closed, creating a loud crackle of paper to pierce the peaceful air of her office.

Not that she was able to hear that either with the boiling blood in her face also roaring within her ears. Through her rising mortification the young woman managed to set the gift aside all while the animatronic studied her, looking beyond befuddled by her defensive reaction.

“Ha! It was nothing-just a box full of tissue paper! What a dumb prank gift Ruby gave me-I bet she has the real one for me at home!” Belle squeaked out in a far too high pitch that made her wince at the sound of it. “I-I-should have expected that from her though… Classic Ruby!”

‘I didn’t actually think she’d really do it! I’m going to make her pay for this! Oh god! What if he actually saw it-or if he figures out that I'm lying and realizes that it's meant for me and him! I still don’t even know if he could ever think of me that way-or if he’d ever want to-or if I would want such a...' Belle thoughts grew to a tizzy as she tried to tame the imaginings she was still having towards the silent machine sitting across from her. Imaginings that had her feeling far too warm beneath her work uniform and longing to jump face first into the snow building outside.

Hoping to save some face the security guard laughed nervously, glancing over their mess laying about in dejected piles of boxes and paper. 

“Well, I call this gift getting a success don’t you? We had quite a good haul.” Despite her reddening composure-surely she now looked more than festive for the holiday season, Rumplestiltskin-if a little more nervous himself, observed their haul as if taking note too.

“I have to agree, though it’s been far more than I could have ever dreamed to have received… Y-you really shouldn’t have went out of your way to do so much for me. Yet… I’m afraid I was the one who got the far better end of the gift spectrum.” He said with some of his typical trickster teasing, making her feel a bit more relaxed against the slight tension hanging about them.

“Hey! Mine were nice too… If some a bit more  _unconventional_  than others.” Belle muttered quietly at the end before scooping up some shredded paper and rising to her feet to throw it away.

Taking it as a moment to escape and regain her train of thought Belle glanced away, returning once more to the conundrums awaiting her. Not only did she need to figure what to do with Ruby’s gift now of all things but her persistent problem of how to deliver her not so joyous news without ending up a sobbing mess and breaking her friend's heart... Though part of her wondered how long it would be before the mechanical man would ask himself-as in sparse moments he appeared to be figuring out she was keeping something from him, given his strange ability to sense when something was wrong with her. While the answer she sought still eluded her she at least knew they had a bit of night left with some cleaning to do to think it over more... 

Yet, the clock was ticking all the same, and as much as she didn’t want to face it now was more than likely the best time.  The mere thought made her stomach roll in awful anticipation as the corner of her eyes stung with rising tears.

Tears that didn't have the chance to form or fall as abruptly the mechanical man called to her.

_“W-Wait!”_  At such a desperate note in his voice Belle quickly looked back over her shoulder to Rumplestiltskin just as the crumpled scraps dropped into the trashcan. 

Through their whole night so far she’d never seen him looking near as nervous as he did now with how fast he sprung to his feet. There he stood staring at her with an anxious gaze, his kneading fingers with their invisible thread in full effect that he almost appeared out of breath despite his lack of it. After a few seconds more of this intense quiet moment with her growing rather concerned he grimaced at himself before speaking up.

“Don’t worry about it, I can do the cleaning tonight, considering I was the one who put up all the decorations after all… But, before that there’s something left… You know h-how I told you I couldn’t get you anything Belle-and I couldn’t-nothing you truly deserve nor like how I wish I could... B-But...”

Belle watched as Rumplestiltskin made his way over to her desk before opening and reaching into the bottom drawer to withdraw something from inside. Standing back up he hastily thrusted towards her a gift with a small golden bow on top that was shaking hard enough the paper crinkled thanks to his trembling grip. At first all Belle could say was nothing alongside him as he approached her, his whole head of wiry locks facing the floor while he kept the package out stretched for her. It looked like any other gift one could imagine despite the paper not being expertly wrapped from how various pieces of tape was placed over it-like it got snagged by something sharp. Yet, with that she understood what this meant-more so what it was he offered her… And that made the young woman’s blue eyes begin to burn so badly she bit her lip to help fend off the sensation.

“T-this is for me… From you?” The animatronic before her didn’t move a single inch at her soft claim nor did he say a word. Trembling in place he just continued to keep his head lowered as if he feared to seeing her possible reaction.

Unable to help herself Belle went to take hold of the gift that slipped from his grip upon her touch. The weight of it and its meaning settled within her hands, allowing her to feel the strange bend-ability of whatever lay beneath the same gold and silver stripped paper she'd left in her office by accident one day. With her heart thudding in her chest she willed herself to peel it away, taking care to not damage whatever it was he’d been so kind enough to gift her...

Gifted her after saying he couldn’t and blaming himself for it… Gifted her despite how he believed he could do so little in return... To think he’d done this after already giving her his wonderful friendship all these months along side his banter, time, and innate kindness despite living in a world that had been far too cruel to him-that had taken so much from him…

However, this was different than those things-this had a physicality the others did not. So when she pulled back the paper the physical burning in her eyes flared to a new height, freeing a single tear over the curve of her cheek.

“ _Oh Rumple…”_  Belle’s voice trembled like her hands did now, and she dropped the wrapping paper to the floor so she could better hold onto the most incredible thing she’d ever received.

And it was the most incredible thing ever, for in her hands was a handmade copy ofher favorite book… ‘The Velveteen Rabbit’. 

Despite looking nothing like the one she'd gotten a long time ago-clearly having been done by hand with how imperfect and childlike it was, his was breathtaking from how much effort he'd put into the cover alone. The whole book was held together by thick yarn through the hole-punched sides, its cover a thicker piece of paper while the pages within were various pieces of white construction paper. On the front the little rabbit adorned there was mostly drawn with colored pencil and crayon, but it also had glued on buttons for eyes, actual thread whiskers, and lines down his felt belly to simulate stitches of his stuffed form. Managing to move past staring at the gorgeous cover the story unfurled further before her eyes with each page depicting a beautiful scene from the neat elegant handwriting beneath. Flipping through them-though she wanted nothing more than to study each one for hours on end, the story came to life in a whole new way that by the end... With the now ‘real’ rabbit frolicking amongst his new peers as his boy watched on had several more tears curling down her bright red face.

However, what lay beyond that final page was what hit her the hardest of all. Just like the one her mother had given her and she in turn given to Rumplestiltskin there was a message scrawled there just for her. At it the crudely constructed book began shaking with her as the words leapt off the page, spoken aloud in her mind by an high pitched, teasing, and yet charming voice she knew all too well.

_‘Dear honorable knight, my dearest friend Belle. Whatever the future holds for us, for you, I hope whenever you look at this book a part of you will think of me, even if someday I’m no longer around. Like the boy and his stuffed rabbit I’ve found I’ve somehow changed through all our time spent together, though I remain nothing more but the strange machine you first took the chance to befriend. I’ll never understand why you even spared a second glance my way, but from all you’ve gifted me these few months, your freely given smiles, incredible wit, companionship, to your endless kindness I can not fathom. I thank you from the bottom of all that I am.’_

_‘Your impish sorcerer always-Rumplestiltskin.’_

At that her tears fell free, unable to be stopped, unable to be reigned back. 

Everything that Belle buried deep inside herself rose up that instant, streaming down her cheeks while her sobs broke free. At their sound Rumplestiltskin’s head shot up, his fear filled eyes looking into her own tear filled ones while her lips strained to try and hold back such pitiful cries from escaping. Without any thought he reached for her before she could have any chance of escaping-not that she wanted to-no-not ever from him. Placing his hands on her shoulders with nothing but gentleness he looked at her so distraught that against all odds she expected to see tears of his own start rippling down his silicone face.

“B-Belle! P-please don’t cry! I-I made a mistake! I-I-s-shouldn’t have made that when the original was so sentimental to you from your mother-I’m sorry-I’m sorry-I just thought I-that I-” His broken lit only made the deluge of emotions more intense, and she feared now he’d be fleeing in fear of having hurt her.

“No! No! It’s perfect-it’s absolutely perfect!” The sobbing beauty sputtered before tucking the precious gift to her chest in worry the falling droplets would stain its pages. When his comforting touch only tightened as the tears continued, those two lonely souls so lost in that moment, her heart ripped free from her remaining control. Glancing back up at the unique face of her friend-one she’d come to find so beautiful, Belle’s thoughts flew forth unhindered. “I-didn’t mean to make you think I don’t like it! It’s just that no one’s done something this thoughtful for me in such a long time... And your gift is more than wonderful-this whole night has been so incredible with you-from the cookies, the tree, to the gift! And I mean it! I do!  _I-really... I really-really love-_ ”

**_‘You.’_ **

Belle’s whole body froze beneath his hands at the earth shattering word that had almost escaped her agape lips.

The beating of the fragile organ in her chest came to a momentary halt as her office, Avonlea, and the whole world faded to nothing but the two of them. Her seemingly endless fears from before too now lay silent in the back of her mind as there was no more hiding it from herself... No more places to run from this truth... And with it came the most wonderful bliss and agonizing pain she’d ever experienced to strike through her chest.

Because she-Belle French, was truly and irrevocably in love with Rumplestiltskin.

Deep down she knew that she had been in love with him for a while, a love that had built between silly arcade games, a rainy night, their stage play and so much more. She just hadn’t been brave enough to face it before-brave enough to accept such frightening things she’d never felt for anyone else ever let alone an animatronic man living in a pizzeria. Yet, she found nothing in her life burned deep in her heart like this brilliant love was in this moment... This that she felt for the scaly machine who'd she'd fallen for the moment he'd caught her from her spill on the swivel chair.

_‘I've been so afraid to accept it till now, so frightened and hesitant-but I do! I love him-I love him so much! Even if he couldn’t or didn’t want to love me back-I still-’_

Then, as odd as it was, the teary eyed human started to laugh through her sobs as the glistening trails only poured harder down her face.

Against her sudden laughter her beloved’s voice called out, but his voice was muffled by the sound of her heart near about to burst between her ribcage. However, Belle’s heightened sense of touch felt one of his cool leather coated arms shift, wrapping around her waist as the other lifted its hand to encompass the curve of her cheek. Grounded by this union of her simmering flesh and his icy metal Belle opened her bleary blue gaze to him... Seeing all that Rumplestiltskin bore right back in his amber-his own fear, his doubts, his confusion and something…

Something she swore was akin to what she felt for him too.

“Belle? Belle?” His odd brogue had deepened, and she had to let out a shaky exhale as his clawed thumb brushed delicately over the skin of her chin. Once again he was brushing her tears away, taking care of her in ways no other had. “I-I don’t understand… Please don’t cry-I-I didn’t make this so you’d be sad or to replace what you’re mother’s had meant... I just wanted to give you back all that you’ve given to me, and I know it’s not near enough-that it’s not worthy of-”

“You silly man-stop it! Can’t you s-see that these are tears of joy! Sometimes we human’s just get so happy we can’t help but cry, and I am so very happy... I do love your gift, and the decorations, and what you’ve done tonight. You’ve made me the happiest I’ve been in a very long time…  _You’ve made me so happy Rumple..._ " Belle gushed before closing the minor distance left between them to rest her head upon his shoulder, pushing her face into his collar and the plated column of his neck. Between their tightly pressed forms the wonderful book he'd made remained in her grasp while his ensnared her in the same protective manner.

It felt so much like being home within his embrace then, like she was right where she needed to be.

More so where she was meant to be, and that she believed to be truth-she was meant to be right here with him and he with her.

_“I-I’m s-so glad you like it Belle-that means the world to me.”_  Her beloved ushered into the crown of her hair, his cold nose nuzzling against her without a drop of hesitation.  _“I’m-I’m very happy too… And I can say without a doubt that this has been the best Christmas I’ve ever had... All because of you.”_

There those two strange beings, so different and yet not, stood holding each other tight in the dancing lights of that small office. Like a beautiful dream Belle feared she’d suddenly awake from it and the scene would break apart to find herself once more alone in an empty apartment. With both his cold and heat sinking into her and his clattering parts clicking away it only confirmed it was so very real, and she would have it no other way. Right now she was being held by the machine- _the_   _man_  she had come to finally accept she’d truly  _loved_  with all her feeble heart, almost as if he too felt the same way. There was not a single thing more she could ask for than this right here this Christmas Eve.

It was the feeling of his gift in her grasp as he cradled her close that reminded her that he wasn’t the only one with something so important left to give. There was still enough time tonight for one more, and hopefully enough time to take hold of her fate and change the imposing chances and terrifying outcomes of the future before her too. With him at her side she’d have nothing to fear, so without a moment more to waste she decided right then and there would be where she made her stand.

For her-for him-for a life-a family...And a love she hoped to share if he was willing to accept it.

Pulling back from him just enough so she could look up to his face Belle gripped one hand at his coat lapel, watching his peaceful expression shift the moment he saw her. Just like she thought her love could see through her masks just like she through his to the sorrow they both buried deep within-her own one she didn't want to burden him with though she knew she must.

Right away she could tell he’d was about to ask her as a mixture of confused emotions became apparent in his heady gaze. The beauty just shook her head at him though, stilling his questions near instantly and willing herself on with a forced smile. There would be answers soon enough in time-as much as she feared their results and reactions just like him, but she had to do this...

It was time to use all the courage she could muster and claimed to have. It was time to do as her mother once told her long ago... To do the brave thing.

And with a deep breath she steadied herself to do just that, needing that guidance more than ever before.

“I have something I need to show you.”

—————

“B-Belle-wait, where are we going now?”

The mechanical man's question rung out through the air in thinly veiled desperation, but it got no immediate reply. All the tiny woman continued to do was hold his hand, practically dragging him down the hallway that he stumbled a moment to keep up with her pace. It should've been rather amusing having her pull him of all things about without any hinderance when he could so easily rip free or stop her in place… If the situation wasn't worrying him out of his mind. A part of him began to doubt too if he could tear away from how her hand gripped his tight enough that he sensed the pressure of it against his plates.

“Rumple, it’s going to be okay-you trust me, right?” His dearest finally asked in return after a few moments of just their foot steps bouncing off the floor. Yet, in her light hearted voice he recognized all too well the distinct ache of someone trying to hold oneself together.

“Of course I d-do… I trust you-I always will, but I don't understand...  _Why won't you tell me what's wrong_...” Rumplestiltskin ushered silently at the end before squeezing her hand back to push his point.

"Don't worry, we're not going very far, it'll be okay... It'll be all right..." That soothing voice did little to comfort him, but he fought back his rising fears to follow her further into the darkness of Avonlea.

Together both human and machine made their way through the building's hollowness as they rounded a corridor, her 'pitter patter' echoing alongside his 'clacking' limbs. Already his previous question was starting to sound pretty foolish on his part with the back door looming ahead. Not that the way she'd gathered all her gifts up in her bag and got dressed once more from head to toe in her coat, scarf, and gloves didn't make it clear she'd been preparing for the wintry world outside. He just didn’t understand why... Why was she doing this now-why were they going back out there? It wasn't time for her to leave as they had a little under an hour left... The mere thought of her preparing to head home had the gears in his chest grinding uncomfortably.

However, a rather perplexed frown crossed his face in consideration-that perhaps this odd change in his dearest had been spurred by him giving her his meager present just minutes ago... Which was something he was still having a hard time handling from the unexpected way she'd reacted. Before he forced himself to give it to her he knew any one else except his dearest would have looked at his poor attempt as nothing more than trash… It couldn't have ever hoped to be as pretty or appealing as the original book he tried in vein to mimic. Instead of simply thanking him politely for it like he thought she would she’d been so delighted to receive such a crude copy that she'd cried against him with the happiest tears he couldn’t understand… A heartfelt and touching response he hadn't been prepared for in the slightest.

Then again it appeared there were quite a few more surprises to add to his growing list tonight.

Yet, as the dying echoes of the awaiting storm outside grew closer and closer the whirlwind within Rumplestiltskin only raged harder. The part of him that knew something was causing his sole companion immense sorrow despite her apparent joy had him an entire mass of confusing emotions all jam packed into one jittery metal shell.... While she on the other hand... She... More than ever he found himself confused about what was occurring between them this wonderful night. Most of all he was at a loss about what was happening within Belle that even his strange foresight couldn't detect. 

That caused his ebbing yellow eyes to drift up from the checkered patterned tiles to security guard leading the way in search of answers. Not that he found any as her face was hidden by the heavy shadows and sprawled curls over her shoulders.

Mulling further over such things came to an end as they both quickly arrived at the back door. Even then Belle looked sure of what she was doing as she disarmed the security system, her trembling fingers only slipping a bit on the key pad. Soon a low groan rose up from the slab of metal as she opened it, revealing beyond the door frame to Avonlea that the snow fall had decreased through their dwindling night. Together they stepped out into the drifts, covering the tops of their boots and obscuring most of the surrounding parking lot from view. Rumplestiltskin's strange eyes couldn't help but flicker up to the small flakes now floating harmlessly down to the earth thanks to the wind being nothing more than a low gale through the nearby trees.

Such a sight-it was stunning, and more so in the slim rays of silver moon light peeking behind the thinning clouds. Sadly the view soon became little to nothing to him from how intense Belle’s gaze looked to be when she continued moving onwards towards the van parked ahead. Each crunch of her boots was a loud crackle against the peaceful backdrop, but it didn't take her long to realize after a few steps in that it was only the sound of her own. Watching her stiffen in realization made him feel more cowardly from where he stood, having been unable to move a step further from the doorway.

With a swift turn Belle glanced over her shoulders at him while he physically squared himself to her pleading gaze as difficult as that was. Nothing was making sense right now, and after having promised to try to be more truthful-to not mask what he, felt he forced down his anxiety to face her. 

"B-Belle-you're making me worried-if you have something on y-your chest or something you need to say you know I’m here. I-I might not understand, but I... I'm... I'm not going to get angry, you know that right?” He tried explained with a reassuring grin that looked to be helping as she began to trudge through the snow back towards him. Yet, she was filled to the brim with a strange determination amidst the fear he could see in her stance.

“Close your eyes.”

“What? Close my eyes?” Rumplestiltskin asked to her bizarre and sudden demand, those very glowing eyes blinking in confusion. 

“I need you to either close your eyes or turn around, please... You told me you trusted me just a moment ago, and I need you to do so again.” Her voice dropped its brave edge to a manner far more beseeching that made his flighty hands knead even quicker at his sides. Try as he might to think of an excuse he couldn't refuse this request of hers either. She'd asked him for his trust and he'd said he'd given it-which he did… Besides, there was no doubt in his mind that she wasn't trying to hurt him on purpose in any way-her doing such a thing was just... Impossible, she was the one and only Belle French after all.

Then why... Why did he feel something awful was about to take place despite everything pointing to the contrary?

Regardless of that horrible feeling a promise was a promise, and the oath bound animatronic would not stand to break another in his life.

The security guard got her answer in the form of him whirling back around which left him to stare at the brick work and back door of Avonlea. Lingering only a moment more behind him Belle’s steps worked their way through the snow drifts, her heavy bag slapping loudly against her leg. His sharp auditory sensors remained pinned upon the noise of her movements though, creating a blurry picture within his head of what on earth she was possibly doing. All too quickly though there was a lack of anything noticeable coming from her that between anticipation and his anxiousness had him wiggling in place-

**_'SHUNNNNK-'_ **

So startled by the abrupt noise of a metal door popping open Rumplestiltskin’s legs near launched himself straight into the air.

His growing intrigue just about had him look behind before he forced his wandering gaze once more towards the stony structure ahead. It was turning out to be quite the endeavor to quell his interest-perhaps a trait he was picking up from a certain someone, as he shortly heard a noise like his knight was struggling with something. Whatever it was she was dealing with the imp could tell must have been rather... Heavy. Even then he remained unmoving as it sounded like Belle managed to set it on the ground from the slight 'thunk' that rose up-soon to be followed by her moving and the van's door being shut again.

“I will admit... I got this after I said I wasn’t going spend any more money on you... But I just had to when I found it-there was no way I couldn’t…” Belle spoke back up a few strained seconds later, her voice noticeably winded as well as nervous against the hushed cry of the wind. "T-This isn’t a Christmas present though-I stayed true to my promise, and that's because it’s not a gift at all... Rather it's something you should have had all this time considering its always been yours... So, Rumple, you can turn around now.”

'What? It's a gift and yet not a gift-something I've always had… Though I don't have the slightest clue what she could be talking about.' With his curiosity piqued and his staggering fears simmering back down from her confirmation the leather clad machine found nothing on earth would have stopped him from complying. His leather coat tails flew thorough the air as he spun about, yet all he could see at first was Belle and her father's van through the gentle flakes... Like nothing had changed since they'd gone back outside.

That was until his eyes clicked in their metal sockets, catching the strange shaped object standing off to the side in front of her. A thing that was oddly familiar-no, it was more than familiar-it was something he knew far more than anyone else ever could that it had his system near crash in utter disbelief.

As if time had never passed there it stood just a few feet away, a relic of days long passed...

His old spinning wheel.

Sure enough the aged wooden object sat right there-right within his reach despite the fact it should’ve been nothing but ash like he to should be. In fact it hardly looked changed from when he’d last seen it before everything went so horribly wrong with its simple dark finish, large wheel, as well as its intricate carved spokes and legs. Thinking it too good to be true the animatronic just stared at it, willing the thing to glitch and disappear as if nothing more than a hallucination. When it didn’t, solidifying before him from the bits of snow starting to collect on it, he drew forward upon a few hesitant steps before slowly reaching out and... Indeed, there was a physicalness to it beneath his unfeeling fingers grazing the wood.

'How can this be-after all this time-it's here, and to think its found its way back-no-its because she'd brought it-somehow-how-how-how- _how-'_

Without thinking about it those shaking golden-green digits gave the wheel a small tug , and the rising creak that met him sent his gears rattling away inside.

“M-M-My… M-my… Spin-pin-ning wheel… It-It's... It’s back…” Rumplestiltskin's voice was nothing more than croaks like the wood emitted as he continued to spin, his dark talons fitting into the old grooves he’d worn into it years back. A thousand emotions were overwhelming the mechanical man to the point his facial mechanics flinched rapidly beneath the silicone from their intensity.

Then through the same spokes he'd watch so many lonely nights turn without a seeming end he saw something approach. Looking upwards his vision drifted from snow covered boots, to work slacks, over a puffy white coat, to the still red cheeks and glistening blue eyes looking right at him. Between Belle and his wheel it felt too much like a dream for him to comprehend... Like some imagining in his head had gone on far to long and had tricked him into thinking this was his wonderful reality. The scene remained though-real and whole, with his beloved standing across from him with the spinning wheel- _his_   _wheel,_  within his grasp. 

“This can't be-it should have been d-destroyed when I-I was meant to be... W-Where has it been all these years-where did-did you find it?” Rumplestiltskin managed to ask his most honorable knight through the tremors within his voice box, and she... She was far more than honorable-far more than brave and kind to a pitiful awful thing like him that didn’t deserve a single scrap of it! To know she'd brought him back that which he'd lost and mourned for years-after having never expected to see it again like everything else that crossed his path… She… _She_ …

“Honestly, I found it just earlier today at the town’s pawnshop-it turns out Mr. Getto sold it in an auction instead of tossed it out all those years ago. Though, I am sorry that the store owner had gone and touched it up a bit... He told me that it can actually be used to spin wool now-it has a bobbin and everything, but when he said he wanted to finish refurbishing it before selling it I convinced him to leave it the way it was… I have to say the claw marks and wear give it its own special beauty...” Belle explained with a tender smile, her eyes lidding as she stared down at the wheel spinning beneath the animatronic's touch.

Without him noticing her gloved fingers joined his, their opposite positions stopping the moving wheel in place. Rumplestiltskin meanwhile remained at a complete loss for words-unable to express the depths of his gratitude and pure happiness that what she'd done had given him. Once more she'd gifted him something without a price tag-without knowing it at all-something more than what was seen by the visible eye. For as much as his spinning wheel brought him this indescribable joy she'd returned to him something far more fleeting in all his twenty eight years at Avonlea...  _Hope._

It near made him giggle like a maniac to 'feel' it shining bright within his chest-it so powerful and light that his system could not comprehend. There it was though, a rising spark surging within his wires, telling him that his strange story might not be one of only loss but one of reunions-of finding all that had been taken from him and all that he'd let go in his fears and doubts. Such a feeling was so overwhelming he fought back the urge to shout out to the sky above as he found a strength in himself he thought not possible… 

All thanks to the woman who dared to befriend him and her never ending kindness...  One he knew he'd be so hopelessly lost without more than ever.

But, of course... Such a wonderful feeling was never meant to last for something like him.

When he shifted his brilliant gaze all thoughts of his wheel and the possible future drifted away from the sight of the emotions spreading across Belle’s face.  There was that sadness-the same pervasive one, that quickly doused him as his fears and doubts resurfaced.

“There's only a slight problem with this, having your wheel back now..." Her soft spoken words caught him completely off guard, causing Rumplestiltskin's claws to dig into the wood beneath them. "I know it's is going to be too big to fit in your room with you comfortably, and there's no way you can keep it elsewhere around Avonlea without it possibly being found by Mr. Getto or the other employees... Which would be a big issue… But, I thought that perhaps… M-Maybe… If you’d want-I-I have enough room for…”

With Belle's stammering voice trailing off and her eyes scrunching up tighter his blatant confusion only grew.

“Belle…” His distressed call towards her seemed to help free her from the heartache overtaking her with how she blinked back the fresh tears in her eyes. Then in an mere instant he observed as a sudden fire alighted within them, burning as fiercely as any star in the sky.

“There's... T-There’s plenty of space in my apartment for it! I have a whole corner in my living room I can set it in-even with a stool or a chair for you!" Belle declared valiantly, her voice rising from its softer tone-as if baring itself in all that she had from the way it cracked. It was those words of hers and their weight that shocked him most, causing him to stare wide eyed at his night guard in astonishment. “Y-You coming over or leaving Avonlea doesn't have to be permanent if you don't want it to be either-we can start small-like just doing that on the weekends-or whenever you'd feel comfortable! I know you're afraid, but I want you to know there’s a place for you, and you wouldn’t have to worry about being found out either! You could enjoy my vast book collection when I’m out too, and when I was home we could sit together while you learned to spin so... I... I c-could read to you a-and… I’m sorry… I’m so sorry, Rumple...”

Just as quick as it had come that brilliant flame of hers was smothered, her voice dying back down into a mere whisper. This time the droplets beginning to leak from the corners of her puffy eyes didn't carry a hint of happiness while her arms crossed over herself through the sobs wracking her chest. Startled further by this despair Rumplestiltskin stepped around the wheel in a flash to reach for her without anything getting in the way. She didn't pull back when he carefully gripped her once more by the shoulders, yet she refused to look at him, filling him with an agony almost unbearable.

Because now he knew the reason for this pain she bore, That made him want nothing more than to tear his hull into pieces for causing her such grief.

A sea of guilt swallowed him up while he shook her gently, urging his companion to look at him which she finally did despite her tears. "Look at me Belle! No! You have nothing to be sorry about! I’m the one who-I'm the one whose cause for this-it's because I am nothing but a coward! B-Because I refuse to leave the place that is more a prison than go with you-even though I long to more than I could ever-ever say… It’s not your fault, dearest-p-please-I am-I-so sorry-”

“No-it's not that, and you're not a coward-not that at all-if anyone is-is a coward tonight it's me... Because I haven't told you when I should have right away… Even if I didn’t want to ruin our night earlier, but I have no choice but to tell you now... I'm sorry-I’m sorry for being too afraid before…” As her voice remained small, the already tiny woman in his grasp seeming tinier than ever, his mechanics lurched at the openness residing there alongside how her hands gripped at his inner coat sleeves.

Tell him something... Oh... Was that why she’d seem to be in some form of pain their whole night? Was that why he felt this sense of trepidation rise as the hours passed?

He didn't have to wonder for much longer, for despite her apparent fear in telling him she forced herself on-brave to the bitter end. “My father... He’s worried his health will start to decline again in time, even though things are going well right now, and so... He talked with his only brother and my grandparents-they all live back in Australia, which you know is very, very far from here... N-Naturally they agreed to help my father figure out planning his-his… His will... Just incase, to help handle the shop and his debts and what would happen if he were... To…”

Once again the mechanical man knew what she meant to say, yet he knew nothing he could say would be able to deny such a horrible outcome from being possible. All he could do was raise one shaky hand up to caress her flushed cheek, hoping that somehow his freezing metal might bring her some form of comfort. After a moment spent regaining her breath against his palm Belle nuzzled her face into him, seeking out a warmth that he knew she wouldn’t find. They remained like that a while more as the salty tracks trailing from her chin found their way down the bolt of his wrist.

“My father was in such a hurry to get this done while his health was good that my uncle helped him get tickets for both me and him to fly over the day after Christmas... That means... I’ll be gone for a while-a little over the new year too, but I have to go Rumple. I can't let him fly all the way over there alone with how his heart condition right now-I’m sorry… I-I wish I'd known sooner, but given it was so sudden and the circumstances...” His dearest's voice became hushed, and he allowed her to hide her face in his fingers while his other hand came to rest upon the curve of her neck. 

To think she was hurting-hurting so deeply, because she feared leaving him alone for so long and on such short notice… No, it was more than that-it was because she feared upsetting him in turn-of hurting him in response to such news… A notion that made Rumplestiltskin’s wires twist from a different kind that coursed through them. While something still didn't seem to add up from such ache to be encompassing her the honesty she bore had him reaching for his bravery to put those fears of hers to rest.

“My most noble knight... It's all right, you have nothing to be sorry about, what you're going through... I can't ever imagine. You are so strong to be handling all that you are…” He told her kindly, though all she did was give another short sob that drew him closer to her, his thumb trailing over the edge of her bottom lip. All the while the falling snow was settling upon them both which caused Belle’s shivers to worsen much to his dismay. “Your father-your family, they come first no matter what-I know that without ever having one of my own... So if you need to go then you must go be with him, besides, it's not like I won't be right here when you get back! I bet it’ll more than likely snow again for that snowball fight you mentioned, and when you return you’ll probably have a lot to talk about too! So don't fret for me-I-I'll be all right alone, besides we'll see each other again-"

_“Rumple-my dad talked about the possibility of moving back over there!”_

It was so sudden-so fast-the words spilling out of her mouth like a thunderous deluge, that the unblinking imp wasn't sure he heard her right.

“Wh… What d-did you say...” He tilted his head, his mouth becoming a thin line and thoughts even thinner in this horror overtaking him.

The sorrow of hers only looked heavier to bare in those tense moments as the dying wind rose back up, whipping at both their hair and clothes. All the while she continued to shed those tears against his unfeeling hull, but like a flood they now threatened to drown them both.

_“He doesn't w-want to move back, but he says if he was to... To d-die soon, that he'd w-want to be where his family and my mom is... And if he moved all the way back… I... I couldn't stay here-I'd have to...”_ Her fragile voice broke off, unable to go on while the pieces of the puzzle fell into place within the animatronic's processors.

The realization was like a slap across the face, except it was far worse than something physical like that. To think there would be something worse to endure than any physical torture he'd had-like the endless barrage of swings he’d suffered bashing his metal skull into a blood drenched floor all those years ago... Worse than the agony of his fits or the constant loneliness, and even worse than the emotional misery his past inflicted day to day…

“Oh… Y-You might m-move… Away… Away from S-Story-brooke... So... F-Far away... Wh-where I’d never see… Y-You…” Rumplestiltskin was at such a loss to this daunting fact he couldn't stop the pitiful whimpering that escaped his vocal box. _No-no-no!_  His tone was all wrong-it wasn’t the confident trickster like it needed to be for her-to make sure she wasn’t worried about him-to spare her further hurt! Feeling more desolate than ever before in his wretched life the imp forced a smile on his face to mask it, but he just felt monstrous when Belle looked up at him with further distress straining her tear stained features.  _“That's okay-that's okay! Y-You’ll be fine-you’ll be with your fam-fam-mily! It’ll be fine-if you moved away-if you lef-lef-t-it’d be fine-it'd be f-fine-I'd be fine-fine-fine-f-four-four-forty-four-uhn-uhnnn-no-no-four-four-"_

Already it was clear his programing was on the verge of a breakdown if his flickering eyes now spinning in their sockets didn't give it away.

Like the miserable inhuman creature he was all he wanted to do was scurry away from her, from this truth, from the entire world before him to sink back into the darkness of Avonlea he knew would at least remain the same. Never had he thought he'd know what a hell would feel like worse than the one he endured so long alone, but now-now... One would think that this outcome would've been a lesson he'd have already learned-given that from the start he'd known that these idyllic days alongside Belle were going to come to an end no matter what promises they made... Yet, he'd been a fool as he'd taken hold of the barest sliver of hope that such an end might not be. That instead he'd not only have a second chance at ‘life’, but one shared with the woman he'd come to love without harboring a heart at all…

The irony didn't go past him with how he now wanted nothing more than to shriek out in blistering agony towards the mocking sky.

But he didn't, because loosing her had always been an inevitable.

After all... Monsters like him didn’t get happy endings.

Especially not with someone as wonderful as her.

It was then his full out rattling hands lost all their strength, slipping from Belle’s face as the servos operating his legs threatened to give out. However, his knight's hands shot forth, grasping at his coat and grounding him despite his desire to spare her from seeing the absolute misery encompassing him. Always he marveled at how strong she could be in light of such circumstances as she tried to keep him with her and from the brokenness calling out to him… And what-what would he do without her courageous light distilling his abysmal darkness? What would he do if she truly had to move to another continent-to never see her smile again-to never hold her hand when she was sad-to never get to see her reach those dreams she spoke of? What would he be without her wonderful stories, her one of a kind laugh, her in everything and all that she was?

Oh that he knew the answer to, his previous hopes of surviving in cinders... He'd rust away entirely, finally become the very dust he was meant to be.

“Rumple! Rumple! Please-Please don't fault! I-I-I'm so sorry-I'm so sorry-but-I promise I'm not going to let anything happen to you and us! No matter what comes of this!" The ferocity in his beloved's voice and her hand now pressing against the back of his head forced his unraveling gaze towards her. There he saw the grit of her teeth through her cheek as she fought back her tears, denying them from getting in her way to speak. “I gave you my word that night-that we’d be together and that nothing would tear us apart, and I'm going to keep it! I'm not ever going to let you go back to being alone ever again!”

At that his eyes steadied themselves-of course, now it all made sense-this true struggle of hers weighing her down. Even now after everything that had happened to her and all she'd found out Belle was thinking of him before she ever gave a thought towards herself… And he-he was being selfish in his pain right now that she had to be feeling ten times worse-ever horrid and greedy as he continued to soak up all the good from her that in turn burdened her soul with his vileness. It wasn't having to leave for a while or the possibility of moving from Storybrooke-he was the one doing this to her, all this pain and sadness-it was because of  _him_ being in her life, and no matter what it brought facing it...

He... He couldn't allow that-couldn't let himself be another reason for her to suffer… 

Because he loved her... Whether such feelings were real or not.

**_"_** _N-No_ ** _._** _.._   _No_ ** _-_** _NO_ ** _-NO! STOP THIS-STOP THIS RIGHT NOW!"_**

Rumplestiltskin's rising bellow cut through the air as he abruptly gripped Belle's out reached arms, prying them off as he tried in vein to step away. Shock darted through Belle's eyes at his actions while her gloved fingers continued to grasp for him, but he couldn't let them-no matter how much it tore him apart inside. With a slight shove he pushed her back, feeling all the more horrible to watch her stumble about before regaining her footing upon the slick pavement beneath the snow and her feet. Already he could see her daring to rush forward with how hurt and betrayed she looked, so he held his hands out to keep her at bay, fearing if she managed to hold him again he'd not find the strength to do what he should have done from the beginning.

At that he gritted his horrendous teeth, hard enough to make his jaw's hinges groan in protest as he searched deeply for the will to go on.

He had to-it was time... Time to do the right thing regardless of what happened to him-what was meant to be from the moment they met and that not even their heartfelt vows could have prevented...

It was time... To let her go.

"Y-You can’t keep thinking about me like this Belle! Don’t you see-see what I’m doing to you right now-what I’ve done all this time?! I am a burden to you more than I can ever be a friend-I'm an utter waste of s-s-space! I’m not worth your kindness or effort let alone y-your promise-though I so desperately want to be…” Rumplestiltskin began, his electronic cries disrupting the quiet world around them while his wires writhed so terribly he thought they'd come undone. It was all the more worse with how his dearest stood back, watching him wide eyed with those hands he longed to hold still outstretched towards him. “I’m so sorry Belle... I-I know I asked you to stay beside me and I promised you that in return-but I see now how it was horribly s-selfish-I can’t hold you to that, especially given what’s happening with your father! I just want you to be happy, and with me being in your life I fear it’s never going to be... I-I’ve already caused you so much s-sorrow and p-pain you never deserved to endure-you're better off without me-"

**_“D-Don't you DARE say anything like that to me ever again!”_ **

It was his turn to stare at his companion in momentary terror as the will of Belle's sudden shout slammed into him. As before that fire in her teary gaze turned on him, but far mightier as he could almost feel it burn through his metal form and scorch his being with its sheer vehemence. The hands that had been reaching for him fell to her sides, tightening into fists trembling with anger. Truly with the wind tugging at her hair and billowing it out in silver glinted waves she looked like beautiful righteous fury bottled in human form. 

_“Y-You truly think that by having you in my life it makes me unhappy-that I'm better off-having-having never met you?! Then you-you don’t know a single thing about me really then! Do you think you’re the only one who’s lonely?! Do you think you’re the only one who feels broken and out of place in the world?!_   _I’ve felt that way my entire life-even if I’m just a-a normal human with nothing extraordinary about me at all!"_ Belle cried out, her eyes closing a brief moment as if to push down the frenzy of emotions assailing her.

Despite having revealed to him such buried feelings she didn't cave-no, with her tears reigned back she began to barrel towards him on intent steps through the drifts. Upon seeing such force headed his way Rumplestiltskin staggered backwards in time-the nightmarish machine now being hunted by a petite human he could tear apart if he so wished. That was until his backside smacked into the spinning wheel right behind him, leaving him to gasp silently as he faced her. 

“I’ve spent so much of my life feeling so disconnected-feeling so automated and forced! I’m honestly not good with people no matter what you think-I mean I try to be kind and compassionate always, to be the best person I can be, but… No matter how hard I try I just-I just can’t seem to reach others like how everyone else does…" There he could hear his dearest's strong will breaking, tugging at his chest mechanics in a way that he couldn't help but long to reach for her too. "I've always been 'Little Belle French'-sitting on the outside looking in-with her head stuck in her books or in places that don’t exist, wondering what it’d be like to really feel like I belonged anywhere… But everywhere I went I never did, and it was that way for a v-very long time... Then... Out of all the places I thought possible..."

It was remarkable to see such a sudden shift in her as she took a steadying breath, her hands slowly unclenching at her sides. As if all that striking anger was swept away into the wind that sorrow of hers met him when her gaze lifted from their snow covered boots.

“When I first saw you… I will not lie-I was terrified... That night you chased me through the halls I truly thought I was going to die there all alone. Then out of all the horrible possibilities I thought of you chose to help me-more so you apologized for what you did, bandaged me up, and then left me ready to face your end... When I left I thought I was going to report you to Mr. Getto, but I couldn't because right away I was drawn to you-I found myself intrigued by this unique being-this new amazing secret I wanted to uncover more than anything else... That all that quickly changed the more I got to know you in our deal-to see past what you were, and when I did I realized I wanted to know so much more about you-about who  _you_  really were... And as my want to see you grew, to understand what made you laugh and sad, and hear all your stories in all your years being alive I found I also wanted you to know more about me too…”

It was the gentle and forgiving look she sent his way made the animatronic’s will to do what he felt he should unravel completely. Unable to fight her or himself a broken sound escaped from his plated throat as all the emotions bubbling up inside him lurched within his rattling frame. This time there was no stopping his traitorous hands from doing as they longed to as they desperately fumbled for her, and in response the young woman’s tears sprang back up as she met him in the middle, lacing their fingers together and reminding him how it was like they were perfectly made for each other.

"Before I knew it... In our time together I had begun to want to tell you things I had never dared to think of telling anyone, and I wanted to be the person who’d cause you to smile and giggle in that way of yours, to help you through your darker times… To cure your loneliness as you'd come to cure mine... I-I just wanted to be with you, every day and much more than that-these six hours aren't near enough anymore... Deep down I had hoped that you’d want that as well after all this time-that you felt the same way I did… But if you don't I can't push you to be with me or to leave Avonlea-I know this is the only place you’ve known so long that the thought of leaving altogether has to be more than hard… Perhaps I wasn’t fair to promise I’d take you away that one day… You’re not my property-you’re my best and dearest friend… I just… Don’t want you to be alone… And I don’t want to be without you anymore...”

Hearing such a heartfelt confession had Rumplestiltskin's chest clattering so loudly between them he was sure she could hear it despite the storm. To think-she felt all that towards him-he couldn't fathom it-couldn't comprehend... Not a single human had ever looked at him and desired to try to understand him let alone befriend him until her. To think she longed for all the same from him that he longed of her… It was still beyond his wildest dreams...

But... That didn't change how wrong he knew them wanting such a thing was, for how could he allow this when he... He was...

“Belle-I do-I do want to be with you mo-more than a-anything… I’m just so a-afraid… So afraid to hurt you because of what I lack and from what I-I am and never will be…” Freeing one hand he drifted it over his loathsome form to help push where his words couldn't, for no matter how much she forgot what he truly was-he couldn't, and neither could she. There was no way he could ever be the human she needed in her life-not close enough, and because of that sharing one beside her like she spoke of so intently wouldn't be easy or without its own struggles and pain... And it most certainly would never be fair for her to endure being stuck with. "You mustn't forget either that I'm b-broken, dearest… With something very aw-awful inside me too, and with the horrible things I've done and could do still-even if I didn’t want to… H-How could you ever wish to spend your life beside me?"

Yet, despite being reminded of the very nature of the mechanical being she was claiming these things towards his Belle didn't falter for a second. No, she reached out her free hand while he simply watched it come to a rest on his chest, just beneath the new cravat she’d gotten him. At this his own metal eyelids lowered, his glowing eyes alighting them both in a yellow hue amidst the swirling snow. Surely it must bother her no matter what that she found no heartbeat beneath her finger tips-nor warmth in such cold-that what she sought for companionship was this... This _Thing…_ That could give her or offer her nothing but darkness and isolation. 

Instead, she continued to smile, teary eyed and obviously still hurt, but with such a hopeful expression he cursed himself for ever allowing himself to doubt her.

“You don’t have to be afraid I'll suddenly change my mind on this, and it most certainly won't be because you're a machine-that doesn't matter to me at all in wanting to be with you. In our own ways we're both different or... Chipped you could say… But, these last five months have been the happiest I’ve been, through all the pain and sadness we’ve endured. I’ve never felt more alive or human myself… I’ve never felt more like I’ve belonged anywhere than when I’m with you, or working here at Avonlea, or being back in Storybrooke after all this time...” With another step forward she shrunk the distance between them, their conjoined hands settling at their sides as those vibrant blue eyes peered into him. “I would never change what happened either-how we meet and became friends, so there’s no way that I’m ever going to leave you all alone after everything. Besides, you said I have to stay with my family first and foremost, and I will… Because… _You are a part of my family Rumplestiltskin._ ”

' _Family_... She-she says I'm apart of her... She-she couldn't truly mean that-but-she...' 

Those whispered words had Rumplestiltskin's mouth twitching as he tried to handle the rising bliss within himself to hear such things he'd dreamt of having not long ago. However, he was unable to do as he let out a soft laugh, drawing towards her despite how little room remained. His brilliant incredible Belle didn't seem to mind-not at all, in fact she encouraged his other hand to settle on her waist as she brought her forehead to a rest against his. 

"Oh Belle... I've... I've felt the same way... I never want to-to be without you-or your clever mind-your silly humor-everything that you are... I've never f-felt a single thing like this with anyone at all-never let myself dream I could until I got to know you…”

“And nor have I  _Rum_..." She laughed lightly along with him-the tears lessening-and oh, what a sweet sound that shortened name was falling off her tongue. "You’re the one that I want to wake up to each and every day-the one I want to face the world with at my side no matter what... To share a life with for the rest of my days... So don’t you dare say that I would be happier without having met you or having you in my life, because truth is... I am the happiest I've ever been with you in it. _”_

Truly now, with her smiling so widely at him and peppered by the moonlit flakes she was the most gorgeous thing he'd ever seen. Inside his parts whirled in powerful surges while Belle looked at him in a way no one had ever done with an expression no human-not even she, had spared him before. Both of her sky blue eyes were shimmering with something he dared not name but could almost swear was there while her dainty fingers began traveling up the side of his mechanical maw. It was with his noble knight filling his entire vision-not the snow, or Avonlea, or the rest of the world that he found himself without a thought more leaning towards her... Ever drawn to her as she brushed her nose against his inhuman one without any sign of guilt or disgust.

And then… Under that stormy sky, his beloved making the gentlest movements forward, both hesitating until she released a single breath...

The space between their faces and their parted mouths was thinned into nothing.

No matter how much his fears and doubts screamed within his code to pull away in those following seconds-to stop this before either of them got hurt, Rumplestiltskin found he could not comply. On the contrary, when he sensed the pressure of her against his artificial lips they chose to brush back as light as the snow drifting down from above.

At first it seemed neither human nor machine couldn’t truly believe what was happening from how they soon both stilled in realization. Yet, his wide alien eyes didn’t deceive him as he watched Belle's begin to flutter closed in light of this unforeseen kiss. The ever present darkness inside of him tried to creep its way into his systems then, trying to convince him this was not so-that she would soon be recoiling from him and pushing him away-that this was wrong for her to share something like this with him… But, there was no room to deny what this was after such heartfelt words and touches. Not with the way both of their mouths trembled against one another alongside the soft needy sounds she started to make.

Which he could only respond in desperate kind as his hinged maw opened to her as much as he dared to, and to his surprise his little night guard hummed, hungrily claiming him in the process. Wasting no time Belle's hands worked to free themselves before worming their way behind his plated neck and coat collar. Immeasurable pleasure filled him to know they were twining in his grayish hair and grasping him tight as if fearing he was about to pull away altogether.

Oh-how could he ever do such a thing... When the woman he loved with every fiber of his being was kissing him back like she felt the same.

Instantly his thoughts flickered when a small spark occurred as her mouth deepened upon his-a brief jolt of electricity that startled the animatronic enough that his hands flinched at her sides. However, Rumplestiltskin quickly understood it was her tongue slipping between his dangerous teeth and touching against the ridges of his metal one. Even though the moisture brought out the small snippets of code in him that read ‘possible damage’ he couldn’t find it in him to care. The sensations-the leaps in his binary Belle caused, it was almost like feeling while the two things intertwined-his far more limited in movement but hers unyielding in demand. These feelings multiplied into a swarm of information he could not hope to describe when that part of her brushed against some wires in his cheek that had never been jostled like that before...

Quickly the burning of his cords and the pure energy whittling away at his parts in his ardor for her grew too great, so he pressed back harder-in need to find the pressure of her against him… To know without a doubt that her mouth was upon his and his on hers. Though he knew what they were sharing out in that bleak cold was far from what a perfect kiss should be-something like him hadn't been built or ever intended to share anything like this with another, his segmented hands helped steady himself by cradling her neck. A pleasant sound escaped his blushing beauty in return as she shivered beneath him, emboldening him to caress the exposed flesh there. More than ever it felt meant to be that as he kissed, touched, and held her the familiar and unexplainable tick formed at the corner of his eye sockets.

Rumplestiltskin ignored it too, wishing to instead remain in this moment of her roving lips and their touch forever. Perhaps, if he were to fully close his eyes he could almost let himself pretend that he too-for just a little while… Was a regular man, and that they were both two ordinary people this late winter’s night.

However, that incredible kiss continued a few moments more before Belle suddenly pulled back-if only a few inches, leaving him to almost chase after her with how his mouth followed. Instantly a part of him rose up in spiraling fear that she'd just realized she'd made a mistake-that she'd come to her senses about what a hideous inhuman thing he was and would reject him. That feeling stilled when Belle just breathed deeply and pressed her nose back against his, regaining the much needed air he almost forgot she couldn't go without.

“R-Rum… I’ve... I've wanted this so much for so long... For a while-I-I was afraid you wouldn't want this... That you couldn't feel the same as I could-or that you didn't want to-” The breathy lost tone of her voice and her own doubts had him lunging back forward without hesitation, claiming her mouth with an urgency that hadn't been there before. Belle gave a muffled gasp at his unexpected advance, but her flushed lips responded back in the same manner of need. Such a notion was made ever sweeter seeing the red hue encompassing those lovely features of hers that the mechanical man emitted his own content noises. Without either of them realizing it at all from their escalating passion both their feet began to find themselves moving them backwards, the snow crunching beneath falling deaf upon them.

“Oh dearest-my sweet, sweet, Belle…" He stammered in turn, being able to even through their messy heated kiss given his electronic vocal box. "I’ve wanted this too-for so very long… I never imagined you’d ever feel the same for me too-you’re far too good to me-I just… Y-You deserve a true man to be with-not a thing like me-"

As if sensing his fears trying to pull him under his companion's kisses grew fiercer, silencing his worries beneath the flurry of her mouth and the daring hand finding its way across his barren plates. Another short cry fled him from surprise, her hand having slipped beneath his vest and silk shirt to press over parts of him he couldn’t imagine she would long to touch. Together both of them continued to move backwards, stumbling a bit as the machine’s hand went to brushing across a sensitive spot on his beloved's nape. 

_"Sweetheart... I... I... I can't b-believe you'd... Want me... Even now-I-I shouldn’t…”_ Like much of tonight his words kept failing him as his systems lost their control in all that he felt for her and her alone.

_"Rum... D-Don't you dare stop... I do... I want you-only you…”_ Belle demanded hastily between, the last vestiges of the tears she'd shed falling to the frozen ground. Not that she needed to demand this of him as he held onto her tightly, for he'd follow her command to the bitter end-follow her to the edge of the earth if she so wished... Already she'd lead him beyond the edge of the only world he'd known for so long and freed him of the eternal isolation he’d thought was all he’d ever know. Despite all he was this brilliant young woman somehow found something worth caring for beneath the metal and inhumanity that haunted the glass every time he looked back. No he'd never understand how she could find anything worth while in him, couldn’t fathom why she’d come to care for him, but with this he could believe she had… That maybe… Even possibly she'd…

And with that hope he found the strength to break free of the chains binding him-to put his upmost faith in her and trust her with all he was and all he'd longed to say.

So it was then he finally closed his mechanical eyelids, basking in this warmth he swore he could almost feel between them.

_"Belle... I... I love you-”_

The words were slipped out so easily-like how Belle’s footing did abruptly on a hidden slick of icy pavement below.

Without warning they were stumbling together with their mouths still interlocked for her back bumped into something this time-the side door of the van behind her.

And within the next instant the peaceful world all around them shattered entirely.

**_‘BEEEEEP-BEEEEEP-BEEEEEP -’_ **

The abrupt bellowing ripping into the air had Rumplestiltskin's whole body spasm in shock. Reacting so incredibly fast he ended up several feet from both the van and Belle in what had to be a second later-the whole world having become a blur until his trembling frame had stopped. Through the terror fueling his unbalanced mind the animatronic pivoted his head around in sheer panic, trying to understand what was happening. Swiftly his auditory sensors pinpointed that the alarming cry was coming from nearby-the van itself, and though he began to relax from the wild fear sparking in his cords he couldn’t get himself to glance back towards Belle. It was hard to think of facing her with the loud alarm going off and everything in him lost in this hurricane of his emotions he was enduring flickering in his circuits… Of not only what they’d just had shared or what they had willingly bared, but what it now meant for them…

Regardless, he forced himself to look over at her in order to know if she was all right too-she'd probably been pretty spooked as well… 

Not the most romantic way to end such a wonderful kiss.

Yet, the moment he looked at her Rumplestiltskin’s faint smile fell, for he got his immediate answer, and no... No...

She was not all right-not at all.

Standing a few feet back and still pressed against her father's van he noticed right away how Belle was now holding desperately at her arm as her muffled cries of pain reached him despite the force of the van’s alarm, freezing his hull to the spot. Through the lack of proper light between the single light post and the thin slivers of moonlight drifting down from above his keen vision could still see more than enough of what she was trying hard to hold onto. There was a new torn part of her upper coat sleeve that had not been there just moments before-that he knew for certain. One she’d noticed too as her wide blue eyes darted from it up to his amber ones as if utterly stunned. Yet, it was not enough to distract him from continuing to look at her curled fingers clenched around the white material and the pale flesh now exposed…

Its fabric edges and her gloves beginning to seep with a dark red color.

What was even more horrifying, as both he and his dearest seemed to realize with how her mouth remained agape from the force of her haggard breathing…

Was the amount of blood trickling down her bottom lip and over her jaw...

Dripping to the ground in fat droplets that stained the pure white bellow.

 


	26. Chapter 26

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shattered, lost, and far from one another-with just a door separating them both, the conclusion to the blood soaked winter's night for Avonlea's security guard and her broken animatronic plays out. But how far can love prevail when the darkness within Rumplestiltskin grows in strength amidst the horrors of a past 'life' coming to light, evoking something truly horrific deep down that threatens to no longer be contain-tain-tain-ta-
> 
> //THERE IS NO ESCAPING FROM ME. I'M ONLY GETTING STRONGER. AND SOON I WON'T HAVE TO WAIT FOR THE SUFFERING MUCH LONGER.//

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the slightly smaller update and lack of complete plot progression. At least the next chapter will finally have us moving forward, and about the lack of an update... I've attempted to write this chapter at least five times. Somehow nothing I wrote felt right, but I've finally stuck with what I felt is the closest I wanted for Belle and Rumple's relationship and character progression... Man, they still have a ways to go.

_**'BEEEEEP-'** _

Despite the continuous droning of the van’s alarm against his auditory sensors he couldn't hear it at all-far too lost to what his eyes were currently witnessing.

_ **‘BEEEEEP-'** _

Even the faint cries that his beloved tried to softly stifle behind gloves now seeping a brilliant red fell deaf upon him too.

_ **‘BEEEEEP-'** _

Worst of all he couldn't find any ability to move an inch forward or to utter a single word. He could seemingly do nothing nor think nothing in the blank space that overtook his mechanical consciousness.

_ **‘BEEEEEP-'** _

Except one thing did manage to push its way through his overwhelming shock as within an urge sprung up in Rumplestiltskin to look down at his hands. No matter how much he didn't want to his body forcibly complied with his programming’s instinctive instructions, causing his glowing gaze to shift then to the shaky limbs raising themselves up. With an unsteady stare-the background becoming a dark and white blur in his vision, he saw that his right hand was clean before his amber eyes drifted to the other. It was there that his inner horror surfaced across his silicone features upon a terrible sight.

Coating the tips of his dark metal claws and segmented fingers...

Was the same fresh blood dripping from Belle's arm to the frozen ground.

_ **‘BEEEEEP-'** _

Sheer terror twisted its way through his parts as the animatronic began to reach up with his other hand towards his mouth in fear of what awaited him. Time felt so slow in those passing seconds, halting altogether as the entire world around grew far more bleak. Though he needed to know the truth he desperately didn’t want to look at the results he would find-didn't want to believe. All he wanted and could hope for was that everything happening right now was a fault in his code or a horrific set of images that assailed him in the depths of sleep mode… Better yet, that he'd ‘wake up’ and find himself still on the couch tucked beside his beloved safe and sound, finding that he hadn't just...

He had to look though when he sensed his thumb brush against his lips and the two deadly rows of dagger like teeth hidden behind them. Then sure enough when he pulled his hand back it was as he knew it would be.

For greeting him was another horrific smear of crimson coating his thumb too.

_ **‘BEEEEEP-'** _

Glancing up through the snow gliding down the gravity of it all near sent him staggering upon seeing his beloved with both her hands still clamped over her own mouth while her ruined coat sleeve continued to grow damper at the violent rips he'd caused. Against the noise building in his skull he could now hear those muffled gasps of hers as she laid against the van that wailed up alongside her. Regardless the action was not enough to conceal the rivulets slipping between those covered fingers or the agonizing pain flooding her eyes afresh with tears.

H-How... How had everything ended up like this-what had he... He'd been... They had…

They'd been kissing as unbelievable as that was-they'd been truly kissing each other without hesitation-without regret... And then-then…

The alarm within the vehicle-it had suddenly gone off-frightening him horribly in the process! He had recoiled because of it and in doing so-oh-no-no-no-no-W-What... What had he done in that moment to her! He’d… He’d…

Rumplestiltskin's trembling limbs began to betray how little he was coping inside upon facing what had occurred in his momentary panic. 'Had I-had I really clawed her-like-like that? Had I-I-I bit her? Torn open her flesh in my sudden movements-after I kissed her… After I was telling her… That I… I loved…’

The truth was there as always though, forcing the mechanical being to look upon the fate he now knew for certain that he could never escape. This time it was looming back in the form of the spilt blood coating his fearsome claws and awful inhuman teeth in another layer to add to the rusting horrors he'd already committed. Perhaps even worse than this was how he stood staring in horror while the one he loved now barely stood as that very liquid was draining from her form.

How ironic was it that the color she’d once caused him to find so beautiful without knowing now mocked him of the promises he could not keep.

Promises now making him pay the price of his ignorance in the most terrible way-

**_'BEEEEE-EEE-EEEE-EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE-’_**

What happened next happened so quickly that Rumplestiltskin flinched back as in an alarming instant the steady beeping of the van changed. Without any warning at all it escalated into something far louder and far more menacing than he’d ever heard before in his existence.

The sheer ferocity of the sound caused him to fling up both his jittery hands in an attempt to fend off the agonizing bleating by clamping them tight against the sides of his head. Pressing them over his sensors did nothing to alleviate the horrible noise as it continued to rip straight through his unwinding mind. A mere second ago he'd been capable of thought-of some reasoning through the surmounting guilt of what he’d just done... Now he could think of nothing other than how he wished to break through his hull to tear out any wiring or conduit that would help stop this... This awful ring-this-this-

He didn’t know what this was-though he knew right away that it wasn’t the van nor thealarm of Avonlea’s security system. This pitch and force was-it was undeniably different! Something never he’d never heard ever-since he had awoken on the stage for the first time, yet a part of him also knew it had to be something he'd known once-

The air piercing shrill was so loud the mechanical man couldn't hear the soft pleading of the bloodied beauty shambling forward through the small drifts of snow that had built up that early morning. Once more she was reaching out for him too, but this time with a half stained glove that couldn't steady itself from its tremulous state. That very terrible red upon them became all that Rumplestiltskin's eyes could focus on as it swarmed his entire vision. Audibly his visual mechanics flickered and popped within their sockets while unbeknownst to her a sudden flashing of that same colored light assaulted him in rotating waves in time with the violent screeching.

Together the sheer volume and visuals caused him to stumble back through the snow and almost collide into his spinning wheel from further confusion as-

**(‘-EEEEEEEEEEEEEEECH-WARNING-WARNIN-G-G-S-S-S-SECU-CU-RI-RI-TY-BRE-H-LL-PER-EL-AC-TE-THE-MME-EA-EA-’)**

He couldn't understand what was happening or why it was-couldn't begin to fathom the reasoning either! On top of it everything that was the machine within that metal form near felt it was being torn apart-torn in two-from facing the vows he couldn’t keep and the horrid darkness that was surging upwards to claim him. What he'd done to Belle, his dearest Belle-he'd hurt her-no-he promised he'd never hurt her-never hurt anyone ever again! But he had-he'd done this-tore through her skin with his claws and split open her lip with his awful teeth despite his love for her! He'd spilled her blood all over the-the-floor-flo-for-forty-fo-no-no- **no**!

Feeble cries began to slip forth from Rumplestiltskin’s plated throat, knowing now that the precipice of a fault was coming close at hand. From the glitches and unfurling code he could feel it dragging him closer to the edge, seeking to devour him as always in his despair. His mechanical mind held firm enough though to allow him to face the human woman as she continued forward in her attempt to reach him regardless of the snow, blood, or pain trying to impede her.

“Ru-Rum… P-Please... I'm not-I-I'm not... That i-injured! I got… I got scared a moment... B-but I’m okay...” Belle pleaded, her strained voice somehow breaking through the hellish things accumulating within his jerking head let alone past her bloodied lips. Both of those aliens eyes of Rumplestiltskin's flickered then, jumping from their whole size to eerie pinpoint dots in the black voids they floated in. His self control was failing from glimpsing her trying to speak only to choke and splatter her once pristine coat with more of her life's essence. “It’s not that b-bad… It's not... P-Please, d-don’t… Rum… Please-Rum-don’t let it take you-stay-stay here with me... I’m not going to run from you... Not because of this... You-you didn’t mean… T-To hurt me... I know you didn’t...”

Clearly those anguished eyes of hers could see what was already happening to him through his own, yet it was not-it was not or could ever be right-what he’d done-done-done-what he'd done to her… What he could still do... What was rising up bit by bit-byte by byte- _bite_ -like he'd done long ago to that child-like he'd almost done to the man who broke inside Avonlea-like he'd-he'd-

He hurt her-his love-his light-he'd broken his word-he’d broken his promises again-breaking-broken-all of it-just like him-just as he knew it would happen.

It was too late to escape from what lay waste inside now, and that fact made itself clear when the warnings of the protocol came roaring to life.

**(** **D*R#-01-A: ATTEMPTING TO ESTABLISH A CONNECTION. CRITICAL ERROR. 01-A OPERATING SYSTEM COMPROMISED. CORE COMPROMISED. ALL SYSTEMS COMPROMISED. ZOSO|PROTOCOL ENGAGED. DAG:ER IMPLEMENTING.)**

Knowing this he tried his best to avoid the lapse into the dark fit running errant through his body, scrabbling at his few grips of sanity left to him as he tugged at his hair. Regardless his programming, systematic order, and thoughts continued to come undone while the young woman dared to approach closer-now a couple of feet away. Enough of Rumplestiltskin remained intact to see her as his failing mind couldn't help but long for her to stretch out those arms and hold him despite his wretchedness... Despite the awful violence he’d inflicted upon her of all people. Once more his wicked filthy hands begged to cross the distance over to hers too- to the ones that fit his so perfectly... They went as far as lifting themselves up in shaky pleas asking her forgiveness-that she might pull him back to her and he might help her with the pain she suffered by them.

With every step of hers forward though the more his vision corroded into other scenes now determined on claiming every scrap of his sight.

More dread filled his hull when the briefest of flashes from that red light assailing him had him seeing something beyond strange. It was like someone else was standing in her place before Belle jumped back in with the falling flakes and glitches overriding his sight. There the mechanical man remained statue still as he immediately found himself in another flicker once more, understanding that within them he was no longer looking upon Avonlea’s back parking lot. Instead it was somewhere inside-some building or perhaps a facility of some sort that he didn't recognize in the least bit-except how could he see this if he didn’t?

What had caught his attention far more than his unknown surroundings was how this other person in this other world-too blurry to make out anything defining beyond the human like shape, was... Yes, they were holding out their hand like she had been.

W-Were… Were they trying to help him? Then again was he truly here in this scene-was this someone else’s data? But what could this be though other than… A memory? Was this a bit of him lost from days he couldn’t recall and had been forced to forget? Or was this anything real-anything true… At all?

Actual or not, a facade or fact, he tried to reach for them in return without true thought or reason-perhaps in hopes anyone might free him from this blaring frightening world, and yet by doing that he found that former hope wasn't the case.

They weren’t… No, they were not trying to help him like she always did.

No-no-never for him-never to help him-never-never- **never-**

Focusing his unwinding mind he found he could sense a latent fear about them without recognizing that human, their out stretched hands trembling like the entire world was quaking beneath their feet. Now in the moment he understood what they signified, even if he didn’t know why or how. They were obviously meant to try and keep something at bay… Or back-keep it _away_ , but... What were they so clearly afraid of? What had them cowering in utter terror that he could sense it without comprehending this scene at all?

Before Rumplestiltskin could think of crying out to them in his own fearful confusion to ask them this-to find answers in this unplaceable scene…

That unknown person taking Belle's spot was in the next instant no longer standing.

Shock shot across his features as he watched them be launched into the air, twisting and turning all the while like a rag doll than a human body with the sound of breaking bones. In the blink of an eye and a flicker of something metal the ceiling tiles dented from the overwhelming force that tossed that figure straight into them, sendings a shower of sparks and glass raining down from the shattered bulb. Then just as quick the human was flung harshly to the ground yards away with a sickening crunch where they were forced to choke miserably for air, pathetically crawling and squirming like they were unable to get to their feet again. While he was forced to watch this stranger struggle to escape, writhing there like a broken worm, another layer of indescribable emotions unlike any Rumplestiltskin had ever experienced rushed over him in powerful torrents.

And along with it an array of distinct noises echoed through the high pitched ringing going on...

Of fluids dripping onto metal tiles and the shrill screaming of many wounded creatures calling out in kind.

Altogether the array of sights and sounds were becoming too much of a catastrophic symphony swirling about for him to handle, winding themselves further into his conflicted data. The wailing of the red lights, the mass of cries that never ended in his skull, the continuous breaking-cracking-the sloshing of liquid spattering all and everything within its reach-he just wanted it to end! He didn't want to hear or see this-didn’t want to believe he had any part in it! He didn't have anything to do with this-so why-why-why him! Yet, this was in his head, in his very fiber, circuits, and parts-no-it was not him-no not him-not him, still-it was becoming clearer he knew these things didn't he? Knew them all too well-he knew them-he knew-

In the depths he also knew it had a name-this chaos-this madness-this-

That forgotten name he knew and didn’t shook his core with a terror unlike any other, but what was that name? Without being able to recall it and also feeling he could scream it to the heavens with the merest memory made his metal maw ache and his gears grind in longing for something he didn't understand. Worse than that, beneath the surface he could sense the force of it all-this weight-this power-pressing against his pounding plates and near tearing his cords apart to break free… To break out...

Thrashing, coiling, and calling-calling-calling for...

"For... For... Forty-four-forty-four- **FORTY-FOUR-FORTY-FOUR-"**

Right as the chanting began to slip past his golden green lips a familar hand was suddenly pressing against him which wrenched him free of the horrible scene. One of his faltering eyes flickered back to its normal size, seeing up close that it was no stranger of this other world touching him-it couldn't be… Instead, it was...

Belle... Standing right before him was his wonderful beautiful friend who was still trying to bring him back to her and that snowy parking lot all this time. Through the ferocity of sounds he noticed how she looked at him with fearful teary eyes while that vibrant red dripping down her jaw already stained near every bit of the top of her coat and the scarf looped about her neck. Like how it had stained him, his hands, his... Rumplestiltskin's vision looked down to find that one of her own trembling hands was pressing against him-a mirror image before everything had gone so wrong. Except she’d coiled it into a fist to spare his vest the touch of blood-yes, his dearest was touching him right beneath the new cravat she’d had kindly gotten him-and-and-

What a lovely cravat it was…

Without logic or purpose in the moment his mind focused only on this of all things as the flashing lights and other world fell far quieter in their intensity... Like a haze surrounding him that her presence seemed to fend back.

Truth be told he still couldn’t believe she’d been so thoughtful to give such a wonderful thing to him along with all the other things she’d had. Between this, the new clothes,his missing spinning wheel, and the... Kiss... They were all gifts which he’d never be able to repay her for no matter how long he existed. All he could do in turn was promise from the depths of his parts to take care of them-with all his might he would not allow her compassion to be gifted in vain as he'd cherish each memory they would hold and had held...

Of course he realized that this too was promise he could not keep as he was managing to reach upwards to touch that hand and draw back to her side far from this awful fault.

For his glowing gaze revealed that there was fresh specs of blood now lacing it too...

Lacing his new cravat in small tainted spatters.

Just like the one he'd ruined before-the one he'd been given to by Marco all those years ago...

Like everything that crossed his path...

_Like her._

And unable to stop it now his mind gave way from the immeasurable pain overloading his entire form as all thought and control splintered into pieces-a fact that echoed in the inhuman screeching that instantly began to pour forth from his vocal box.

Somehow in the next split second he was moving, scrambling back from the young woman he’d betrayed as his limbs popped loudly from his servos becoming strained by the his programing’s attempt at control over his body. Abruptly snow was in his face a moment to swallow up his cries-his footing having slipped in his monstrous speed, but then it wasn’t also snow-it was a paneled metal ground that became another blur when he was back onto his feet. Before he knew it he was then at what had to be the back door of Avonlea all while a pained voice called to him from so far away and yet not, begging him to come back.

B-Back-back-back-the back door-yes-he needed to get back inside-inside-inside! No-that was wrong-wasn't he trying to get out-get out-get out-got to get out-no-no-he-he didn’t know anymore!

All he knew as that he had to hide-to flee from the rising visions and all that blood seeping in that he felt he was about to drown without needing to breathe at all.

It was as the faulting machine managed to get pass the ajar door that the red flashing assailing his mind erupted in greater waves. Such tormenting figments had him staggering when he stood behind the slab of metal. It was then a loud popping sound erupted from his body, causing him to violently fall against it, ripping free another shocked screech from him as it slammed closed.

 **(D^@#-01-A: HAS FORMED A CONNECTION. ERROR. CRITICAL ERROR. ZOSO|PROTOCOL BREACHED. INTERFERENCE 44.//OH LITTLE RABBIT. YOU TRY TO RUN AND RUN. BUT YOU CAN’T ESCAPE WHAT YOU HAVE DONE.//DAG:ER RESTRICTING ALL PHYSICAL SYSTEMS. SERVOS LOCKING.** **)**

The fit he was enduring was going too far for the protocols liking-made evident by how his legs creaked as they began to twist themselves into unnatural positions in order to stop him.

Rumplestiltskin floundered desperately as he sunk to the ground, attempting to move, to get further into the darkness, to break away, yet he couldn’t. Against the back door of Avonlea he slumped while his eyes clattered within their sockets from the world around him constantly shifting in fragmented jumps into this ‘other’ that kept pulling him back in. Once more the hallway he knew so well was torn away to place him down the one he could not recognize from where or when. It was the same as outside, for in place of the concrete walls and checkered tiles were cold looking steel walls and floors of the same nature that seemed to stretch on and on forever beneath the blaring lights.

Yet, as his own screaming alongside the loud alarm that didn’t exist cut through the air he managed to hear something break through this scene once more, pounding against the door behind him. Truth was he more so felt it as it rattled hard enough it jostled his heavy form from the force. Through the fault he had enough reasoning left within his processors to figure out it had to be his beloved's fists slamming into the metal that barred her from entering.

 _“Rumple!”_  That voice with its unforgettable accent bellowed as the insanity tried to further consume his sensors. _“Rumplestiltskin! Let me in-I’m all right-I’m going to be okay! I’m not that h-hurt-so please stop this! L-Let me help you! Let me in!”_

Hearing such heart wrenching words from her-the one creature he wished to make smile always, brought some sense back to himself if only a little. Muffling his ongoing cries Rumplestiltskin tried to fight against the mechanisms and visions that had taken control of his body. However, it was utter agony to force himself a mere inch forward. Every single one of his joints felt like they were near breaking as he kept snapping his hinged jaw open and closed in the struggle to free himself-a struggle he all too quickly realized he was going to loose.

_“RUMPLE! Please! Why aren’t you letting me in! Stop this! You can’t-you c-can’t be by yourself like this! You can’t keep me out here-Rum-ple-let-m-lp-u…”_

Just as he was about to call back to her in desperation and fear any and all words of his own cut short within his plated throat.

For it was then he noticed that everything within his head… Had begun to fade away altogether. The sound of his beloved’s voice calling out, the pounding on the door though it continued to shake against him, and the once horribly deafening alarm alongside the static in his mind… All now lay eerily silent.

Looking ahead into that foreign and unplaceable hallway the animatronic's two pinpoint eyes stared while the sudden darkness and then red light battered his constantly shifting vision. For a long few seconds nothing happened in this empty place-nothing at all… Then, in faint creeping echoes something began to filter through, so quiet at first he'd thought he heard nothing. Steadily it grew louder though as Rumplestiltskin remained trapped there on the floor in those passing moments with his fingers twitching uselessly at his sides. By straining his auditory sensors to their highest settings he could tell it was... Whatever it was-it was bouncing against the panels and floor in what seemed to be an off key beat. Yes, the sound was like something…

It was like something was headed his way.

Down the hall… Clacking-clattering-metal-mechanical... Like-

Without warning the silence was torn asunder once more from a glass shattering scream that tore through the hall before it died in the sound of something bashing into part of the wall further away. He flinched what little he could when the metal panel was then instantly spattered between the flickering lights in what he couldn’t define from his unwinding vision. Then another similar struggle rung out closer-nothing to be seen except the flash of fleshy remains of something-or someone, too far lost in the shadows dropping to the floor in a heap. Then again… And again it occurred. In an endless loop if felt like he could only hear the bestial beating of the things against the walls and sounds of matter splattering upon dying cries as the whirling lights were being extinguished overhead. All the while the horror went on that something clattering in the looming darkness drew closer and closer to him, making his own golden green body clatter fiercely from sheer terror despite his inability to move. 

Never had he seen something like this-this absolute nightmarish scene that he didn’t want to see or hear either-he wanted it to go away-to be swallowed up by programming and code-to forget whatever obscenity this was. It remained before him though while whatever was approaching continued its slow stride down that horrible hallway, ringing against the metal like the chains of the damned from its uneven gait.

 **"BELLE... BE… LLE…”** Rumplestiltskin tried to croak out in order to warn her away as he felt her presence behind the door, fearing for her safety while instinctively knowing his own was in extreme danger. In only broken sputters his voice came out-near drone like save for the desperate inflection haunting his words. **"BELLE... RUN... RUN... AWAY... GET... AWAY... GET... OUT... GOT... OUT... FOR.. FOR... FORTY... FOUR..."**

 _“No-no-no! Please-let me in! Let me help you Rum-don’t shut me out! You’re suffering a fit-I know you are-you can’t go through it alone! I-I WON'T LEAVE YOU! NOT NOW-NOT EVER!”_ Belle's own broken voice joined in the rising choir of voices in his head while those tainted fists of hers battered against the door. But, it was not enough to bash through such hefty material, to break him free, to stop the bitter screams inside his head making his wires writhe violently within his shell.

All he could do was stiffen back against the door as if to conceal himself before this entity-not that it did anything to stop the mechanical man from hearing the thing in such looming abyss drawing nearer still. In fact his silicone face creased in pain as each of its steps now were practically assaulting his systems between the whirl of man made parts and the rhythmic beat of droplets pattering the ground.

 **"RUN... RUN BELLE... GET AWAY... IT'S COMING... IT'S COMING-IT'S-IT'S-IT'S-"** His voice reached staggering high peaks, knowing that soon this thing would be emerging before him-to-to-to-

 **“PLEASE! YOU HAVE TO GET OUT OF THERE! YOU HAVE TO LET ME IN! YOU’RE-YOU’RE BREAKING!”** Belle screamed back in utter agony while practically slamming her entire body against the door from how it shook. Each ongoing cry near sounded like her throat was being torn apart in the overwhelming terror consuming her too-yet, he couldn't respond-it was far too late-too late for him-

Because, Rumplestiltskin knew he could not move at all despite every part of him begging him to run-to flee-to escape-to get out-out-out-out-out-out-he needed to get out-he had to **GET OUT!** Mockinglyhis body was stuck in place with his limbs twisted like broken twigs discarded by amused children, leaving him open and vulnerable for this thing to claim him too. With it more apparent than ever that he had no hope of surviving the last thing the animatronic could do was simply close his metal eyelids tight in knowledge that this was over-over-that he was going to fall-fall-fall into the awaiting void that had been calling all this time… That pure darkness… That never-ending nightmare…

It was then he could feel the thing standing right before him as he heard its own familar static wailing and clattering jaw over head…

All while hearing that unknown song of _'them'_ rising from that hollowness behind closed eyes-their broken limbs and bodies readying to drag him under-

Which near made him sing along in the sheer madness overtaking him only for him to open his mouth and-

**('And where do you think you're going?')**

The sudden voice startled him worse than anything had so far in this hellish world existing solely before his eyes. It was much too human and unlike any of the insane sounds that had been tormenting him in this fit, and also somehow terrifying from what it could possibly mean. Regardless, it took him a few moments to find the strength to open his eyelids again as that alone felt like a miracle to do with how his systems physically sparked within his hull. Frantically his coding was warning him that his body was about to shut down from the strenuous pull of him fighting it along with the protocol striving to take back control...

More so it was warning him that he should not see what he was seeing nor should hear what was to come.

What greeted him though as he slowly his glowing pinpoint eyes focused themselves once more was not a sight he was hoping to see at all, far from it. For while no thing-no monster he had imagined stood before him to tear him to pieces or do what it had done to those 'others' the world hadn’t returned back to Avonlea like he'd silently begged.

For what stood there was not a what, only a who-a very unfamiliar who... No-at the same time it was also someone he...

All the broken pieces came back as he recognized it was the man without a face-a figure he’d seen before in other glimpses and also hadn’t from the protocol's certain procedures that always ate it up to keep it from him.

Now in this moment of worlds merging he knew that person there all too well. Standing before him the man wore his typical plain dress clothes he always had in those far gone days, including that the old white lab coat of his and that… That-that- _fucking purple tie-_ making him recognizable anywhere and no where at all. Instantly inside the mechanical man a swarm of unexplainable feelings rose up to see that looming figure looking down at him from the tilt of the void like glitches he had in place of any features. Perhaps worse was how that man stood there from his vantage point like a doctor examining an amusing specimen with the authority of a microscope lens... Like a god assessing its own bastardized creation from his self arranged pedestal.

The intense fear of before was torn away immediately with the rush of those feelings, but even then the animatronic's body continued to spark with powerful emotions to the point his jaw started to snap open and close in a worse ferocity than before.

What it was that was aching within his unfeeling body he couldn't comprehend, though it was more than frightening in its weight than the compulsion of terror he'd felt so far. The horror and fright had at least told him to do what he understood well enough-to run-to flee-while this... This asked for something nothing but full of rage and hate-for something darker and crueler than any act of cowardice he'd ever committed.

Meanwhile as if unaffected by the horrors lingering in the hallway behind him or his 'specimen's' lunging-to-to-to do what he himself didn't know, the faceless man continued to look down at him with his hands settled behind his back casually. It was then he 'tsked' at Rumplestiltskin in a manner that had the machine's apparent shock reach new heights while his jaw stilled its previous wild gnashing. What disturbed him truly was not this man’s such uncaring displays of the gore and carnage that the thing in the darkness had caused, but the words that fell next from the man he knew and didn't.

Each word empty and uncaring while Rumplestiltskin's entire sense of self began to fall apart.

**(‘Now... Look at the mess you’ve made.’)**

What…

Mess… This…

Mess… No… He…

He didn’t do this… He didn’t… That thing-that awful horrible thing did this… It wasn’t… He could never do such a… That wasn't...

It was strange though, how suddenly his hands at his sides could find the strength to move somewhat as they forced themselves to rise up in jittery movements towards the man-to show him that his had nothing to do with him-to beg for help though he knew somehow that he wouldn't find it. The part of him needing that continued on though, wanting to have him understand that this was not anything he'd ever known-could never have done... But when he did, with his fingers twitching at such relief to be able to bend, he was left with a sight that had not been that way before and now was all that he could see-was all that it could be.

_The blood…_

Where had it come… From...

No… No… No…

It could have almost been remarkable if it wasn't just horrifically obscene with how much blood was pouring out of his upraised parts, draining now from his segmented joints in thick waves that covered the entirety of his clawless mechanical hands so that not one ounce of his coloring could show through. Looking down slowly he could see a tide of that same crimson pooling beneath him from where he sat too, inching towards his twisted barren legs and feet matted with what he could not begin to describe. 

Everywhere that he looked in his brokenness was a wall of red-of red lights-red fluid-red building up behind his metal eyes as the horrible emotions within him reached new ferocious heights. Once more he couldn’t make any form of sound to combat it all-couldn’t utter a single word to unleash his returning terror and this... Awfulness... This vileness... Forcing its way into every nook and cranny of his inhuman body. 

And when he thought that it could not get worse as he realized these things that weren't truly his own feelings were starting to take him over... Consuming him from the inside out...

This scene was able to reach new levels of horrid imaginings.

From the void of features on this unknown man’s face a set of flickering white spots began to appear, slowly forming into two perfect pearly rows where a human mouth should reside.

Unnaturally the teeth curled back in an impossible way-as if they were smiling without lips while the rest of the figure remained frozen, simply glitching in and out as the world fluctuated in time. The hallway around them became bent and distorted within these steady beats-the air growing heavy in an oppressive weight that even the machine's unfeeling form could sense wished to crush him-to render him pieces. Underneath his feet Rumplestiltskin could sense another shift, for beneath them now was no longer those metal panels or the tiles of his home but a grand twisted stage as they rose up higher into the air with a great gush of air sending the man’s clothing flying and blood beading and falling upwards to the sky from the force…

To a sky as black as the darkest night over this abhorrent scene-until he could see overhead in faint shadows what seemed to be a...

A mass with copious amount of cords dangling down into the surrounding darkness.

Rumplestiltskin gaze had been ensnared by this other worldly scene, only to return to the man as from that horrid mouth a new voice arose entirely. It was not at all the one of the faceless man he could barely recollect nor of anyone he recognized-the pure sound of it … It was indescribable in every sense-a voice and yet not anything a human let alone a machine like him could properly comprehend. From the magnitude of its volume, from its reverberation through everything and nothing, of the multitudes of different voices mingling together in broken silent shrieks somehow made words in this union of insanity that he could make out while he found his entire form shuddering due to its intensity.

Words… Words that he now knew he had heard once long ago in the depths of himself he feared so deeply.

 

 **//AN EYE FOR AN EYE. AND TEETH FOR TEETH.** **WILL GIVE YOU ALL SWEET UTTER RELIEF.//**  

 

**_“-RUMPLESTILTSKIN!”_ **

Then with a loud crack that tore through that world Rumplestiltskin's mind unraveled, but back this time, pulling him towards the light with the desolate call of his name-his name-who he was-not this-not this horror-not in this place-to Avonlea-to her-to the one he loved.

Yet, in doing so the spark had allowed the protocol's grip to snare his systems within their hold as the warnings of the inevitable blared through them- 

**(D^R#-01-A: CONNECTION DENIED. DAG:ER ACTIVATING ALL EMERGENCY RESTRICTIONS. IDENTIFIED CORE MALFUNCTION. DAG:ER AUTHORIZING MEMORY BANK REPAIR. REPAIR AUTHORIZED.)**

And with it rose his mangled cry as his body and mind began to be torn asunder.

—————

It had all happened so fast she'd nearly missed it.

For in the blink of an eye what had been a moment of utter happiness unlike any she’d dreamed of sharing with the one who had claimed her fragile heart…

Had crumbled and slipped right between her fingers like the blood that now freely fell from them.

Belle found those gloved digits slick between a mixture of crimson and snow, creating a conflicting collision of warm versus cold against her skin beneath. Any thoughts beyond that had been lost on her for a few moments from these sensations alongside the burning pain washing over her. It hadn't helped that her mouth had instantly filled with a mixture of saliva, mucus, and blood, causing her to choke for air as the tears raged at her bleary eyes, forcing themselves like a torrential flood over her eyelids. Sheer luck had managed to save her tongue from being cleaved off when Rumplestiltskin had recoiled. The inside of her lip had not been as fortunate as the young woman felt the long cut into her flesh gushing blood up and over.

Despite such shock at this unforeseen turn her senses swiftly returned with the freezing temperatures waking her back up... Only to finally look up and find her dearest friend starting to unwind before her eyes amidst the pure flakes continuing their descent.

It had been a while since she had seen him like this-with blood upon his claws, but it reminded her of just how terrifying his faults could be. The sweet amber eyes he had been staring at her with earlier wasted no time in changing into those frightening pinpoints that chilled her to the bone far quicker than the winter wind. Knowing now what was going to occur if she didn’t find a way to stop him had her quickly pleading with him while pushing aside the pain coursing across her body. Her shouts for him against the alarm of her father's van were not enough to keep him with her though as he’d begun to chant and rave into the dark sky with stained lips... Calling out to this ‘forty-four’ that seemed intent on driving him to madness.

To think just seconds before they had been so close to one another, having bared their souls before kissing each other so truly and deeply on what had been such a magical night. And now...

The swell of desperation to have him back overwhelmed her which in turn had her trying to approach the mechanical man. Upon careful steps the wary night guard drew nearer to him without being further harmed, yet touching him had not been able to ground him for long from the fury that scorched his internal parts. No, as if frightened by something she could not see he had cried out and quickly fled from her touch just when she thought he was escaping the fault. And while she had wanted to remain near him she had to step back from the sudden horrific panic that had overtaken him least possibly be marred again. Guilt ridden she was forced to stand by and watch through her sobs as he threw himself forward, screaming all the while and almost toppling into his spinning wheel in his frantic plight to escape.

Such speed-there was no way she could keep up with him as he had barreled back inside Avonlea to hide in the only place she assumed he knew was safe through the ongoing errors. Still, she ran to try and stop him from getting too far just as the back door had slammed shut without any forewarning. Immediately Rumplestiltskin had cried out while Belle had startled hard enough a sharp pang shot through her bloodied mouth.

As she regained herself she realized there was too much noise going on to think properly on what to do next between her pained breathing, Rumple's cries, and the damn van continuing to whine behind her. There was also the worrying fact that the whole nearby neighborhood or Sheriff Graham of all people would end up here if she didn’t quiet things down soon. So first thing first she hurried back to the vehicle, fumbling with keys and footing to stop the blasted alarm from causing any worse damage while a trail of blood splatters stained the snow behind her. Half a minute later she got it to stop-the crisp air above taking on a new almost… Haunting presence that was only disrupted by the small howl of wind alongside the breaking being inside the family fun center.

Thoughts ran through her mind a mile a minute, wishing to understand what had pushed him to this utter loss of self. It was the blood and violence of course. It had to have trigged bad memories to come rising up and claim him, something she could understand from her own bloodied and marred past. There was more to it though as she swore under her breath at the severe ache in her mouth and right arm. The guilt of hurting his friend-his emotions becoming too unstable-these were all good reasons, but it was also like something had…

Like something had awakened within him-this darker side digging its teeth in deeper than ever before.

After rushing back to the door with the little energy she had left from the rising snow dunes Belle desperately called and called for him, though it worked to no avail to avert him from his constant screeching. With this she knew she needed to reach him more than ever in order to bring him back, and so she grasped at the handle of the door to wrench it open and face him. However, the thing simply rattled uselessly in response, acting like she'd locked it up as it barred her from entering. Yet, she knew it couldn't be since she had no time or reason to when bringing him outside to show him his gift nor had he.

The worry of before grew ten fold which in turn had her pounding against it. No comprehensible reply returned to her with each swing, leaving her to batter her fist into the metal to the point it was starting to bruise.

Inside she faced the terrible suspicion that the fault had pulled him under too far at this point to be able to pinpoint reality despite how she could hear him there right against it sputtering and-

Wait... Against it... _Oh-oh no!_

The door slamming shut and him crying out as if it had frightened him made it clear now to Belle what had taken place. He-he'd fallen against it! That was why she couldn’t get inside-his heavy metal frame had to be pressing into it, likely from his servos locking up from the fit! The blue eyed beauty could only pray then that barreling into the door itself might help her pry it back open for her to get inside-to draw him back from that dark portion of himself steadfast on destroying him. This reason alone gave her the strength to propel herself forward, knowing with every fiber of her being that she had to get in least something worse befall him than having harmed her without meaning to.

Shoving herself hard against the door the worn night guard managed to get it to slowly open if inch by inch. Yet, with each toss of herself against it she barely could bite back the wail of pain that lodged itself in her throat due to her mouth and torn up arm aching in misery from the merest movements. None of that she allowed to slow her down, and thanks to the adrenaline coursing through her as all that she focused on was getting past that damn door she was coming to loathe with every passing second while the one she loved lay trapped beyond it.

It was then in the rising silence between her ramming the door she realized she could hear nothing more at this point than his own screams which were unlike what she’d heard before. Quickly her own joined in without thought from her fear surmounting all else at hearing him experiencing such horror-like he was facing his end on that other side of that damn door.

'He's falling apart in there! And I-I can't get to him! I'm-I'm loosing someone again! And there's nothing I can do-no matter what I...'

**_"BELLE... RUN... RUN... AWAY... GET... AWAY... GOT... OUT... OUT... FOR.. FOR... FORTY... FOUR…"_ **

Despite the animatronic’s pleading with her she didn’t obey, only went on begging at him more in hopes to reach him like she had minutes ago. Again her words fell from her lips useless, gory, and unable to protect her friend his ongoing spiral farther and farther away from her.

**_"RUN... RUN BELLE... GET AWAY... IT'S COMING... IT'S COMING-IT'S-IT'S-IT’S-"_ **

That was when his hysterics grew ten fold, causing her to freeze there against the ice cold door as she listened to what could only be described as pure terror crackling through that electronic voice.

**_"-FOR-FORTY FOUR!"_ **

Then just as swiftly as his voice thinned from the air a dead silence crashed down upon them.

**_"-RUMPLESTLTSKIN!"_ **

Right before the ring of something large and metal toppled over, bashing itself into the ground with a mighty clatter that echoed out against the door and through Avonlea's halls.

The slab blocking her way gave with the last of her useable energy, opening far enough to allow her to try and slip past it. Getting through the small gap just about squeezed her hips and waist so hard that if felt like her ribs and organs were to be crushed in the process-blood spattering the floor and her scarf as she struggled to breathe. Yet, after floundering into the hall from her slick snow covered boots the very reason for why she couldn’t merely open it laid before her eyes now adjusting to the thick darkness of the back hallway.

Sprawled on the ground was her impish and beloved mechanical man, and though he'd collapsed in silence to the checker tiles she knew he was the furthest from all right. Thrashing and convulsing Rumplestiltskin writhed in place with all his limbs looking almost like they were broken from the angles they were stuck in. His head of wiry hair too was jerking about spastically like that first fit she'd seen him endure those months ago behind the stage. Alone this sight had her out right sobbing while sparks shot from his neck in random spurts. Worst of all was how both his eyes rolled about in his skull, spinning without control as he remained so lost from reality in the after effects of his fault.

There was not a single thing stopping the human woman from falling on to her hands and knees in order to scramble towards him. Already she felt hot fresh tears leak down her ruddy wind whipped cheeks, not that she cared to stop them. They too were splattering across the floor and soon enough Rumplestiltskin’s leather coat as she leaned over him, grasping with all her might at his lapels to turn him over.

“R-Rum… Rum… Please come back-come back! I'm here-the van has stopped! Please-please-please hear me!” Belle bellowed with a hand she couldn't stop from shaking nearing his flickering face. There was no immediate response-she wasn't sure he'd even noticed her from how his dots for eyes rolled to the top of their pitch black sockets. Hesitation paused her when she noticed the blood upon her once more, making her tear of both gloves off in order to cast them aside so she could cradle his chin. It was hard to hold him still with how his dangerous jaw snapped and jerked, especially with her right arm throbbing with each breath. Regardless she pulled her body as close to his side as possible though she was barely able to pin him down thanks to his clattering metal parts.

Whatever had happened in this fit it was clear now it was really bad-far worse to him mentally than anything she'd known he’d endured before. That fact brought up a fear in her unlike any she felt before too in all her time here.

She didn’t want to believe it-wanted to against all reasoning and thought deny it from being true, but… He...

He was…

Scrunching her eyes closed tight a pained expressed creased her lovely face. ‘He… He is getting worse. These faults are getting so much worse! It’s like the further he pulls himself free of this place, of the rules placed within him, and towards the truth the further this broken side takes him too! Is it... Is it my fault? Have I been causing this to ultimately get worse-and I… I haven’t done anything to help him really-I’ve done nothing-nothing to help him get this fixed! But can this... Can this be-’

 _“G-Gone… Gone-ds-g-t-t-ken… Can-t-t-top-st-it-”_ The animatronic in her arms croaked out then, surprising her enough she flinched against his cold form and leather. While his voice had seemed to return those spinning eyes and garbled sounds gave way he was very much trapped inside. It had her pressing closer instead of pulling her away like anyone else would have done at such a fearsome sight.  _“L-Lo-ing-all-all-all-slip… Sliped… Slipping… Can’t… Get out… I can't... Find... A way out...”_

Both blue glimmering eyes of Belle's opened wider as he continued to convulse in her arms-bare whimpers escaping the confines of his plated throat. Passed her stunned exterior her mind tried to understand what exactly had taken place in his systems and programming. ‘Gone-slipping away? What is he talking about-is-it is-his memories! Did he remember something in the fault and is now being forced to forget it? Then is has to be true-ZOSO or whoever programmed him to be able to loose his memories-but why-why does he have to forget! _'What'_ is it that he has to forget!’

“Rumple, please hold on-come back to me! I’m here-I’m here! Just let them be taken away for now-don’t fight it! You're only going to hurt worse if you try to fight it!” Belle declared, pressing both hands hard into the bottom of his jaw to not chance being bit in order to lean closer. “Listen to me-no matter what happens I’m not going to let you go! I’m all-all right-so you can't let this take you away from here-from me! Whatever you saw in your head wasn’t real! Even if it had happened it's not happening right now-you're here-right here with me! This part that takes you over doesn't own you-it's not you! _You're Rumple-the one and only Rumplestiltskin!”_

At that the eerie pin points snapped towards her, his body almost stilling entirely if not for the flickers and spasms she could feel jerking his metal form. A bit of nervousness found its way into her belly to see those dots peer back at her, but it was a sign he was returning if he could focus that much on her. There was no way he was going to hurt her purposefully anyways-he never had in all their time together faults or not. With that belief reaffirmed she relaxed her strained muslces so she could draw closer and press her fore head against his.

Instantly she felt the inhuman chill of his faux skin, but didn’t recoil from this touch as he didn't from hers. In fact she heard a soft sound crackle from his voice box at the contact that emboldened her hope that he was regaining control.

Forgetting a moment about the blood trailing down her mouth she brushed her nose against his metal one in relief, yet failed to notice a droplet form and fall to race down Rumplestiltskin’s chin.

He on the other hand didn't, causing him to come to life as one of the glowing pin points flickered back into its normal massive size. She barely had time to focus on that important fact from the way he bucked up from the floor which almost sent her sprawling off of him with a yelp.

 _“No… No… I-I-I've-”_ Both those metal hands attempted to reach up to grab her, but they fell back to his sides like they were missing necessary functions.  _“G-Get away… Ahhhhh! I-I-don’t c-come near me-you have-to-to-run-go! Not safe-not safe! I'm not safe!”_

Ignoring Rumplestiltskin's demands Belle wrapped her arms as far about his chest they could go as he rapidly attempted to sit up. They both found the action alone appeared difficult for him to handle from the way his limbs wracked like the world was quaking beneath him.

It was clear he was going to push himself too far too soon in his rising fear, and so Belle tried to keep him held down long enough to gather herself in spite of how he struggled against her. “Rumple-It’s okay-It’s okay! I’ve g-got you! You're not going to hurt me-I know you won't!”

“But I did-you can’t-no I can’t-stop! Can’t stop-my-myself-I-I’ll hurt you again! I'll hurt anyone-anyone-in-my-way! I have to get out-get out-no-get in! I have to get inside!” The animatronic cried out, digging at the checkered tiles with those dangerous claws to pull himself deeper into the pitch black halls.

He didn't get far as the bend of his right arm gave out with loud pop-the sound of a servo loosing control, taking both of them down as they fell to their sides on the floor. She lost her breath for a moment at the impact, but that didn't deter her from clinging to him with all her remaining strength. Because if she let go now she knew for certain he would try to run away as fast as he could which she couldn't let happen-not after what he'd gone through. That mind made of data and code was too fragile from the fault and with his new found fears she herself feared it would cause him to recoil from far worse than he had in the past.

And she... She... Couldn't loose him-couldn't loose him to such regret and shame at what had been just been a terrible mishap. Never again did she want to go through having to loose another person she loved when she had the strength to try and stop it-to which she did, for she loved him unrequitedly despite all that had occurred. The moments before everything had gone wrong... When they'd shared their gifts, bared their souls to one another, and kissed so tenderly, everything had felt so very right within her world. It was like she'd finally realized he was the missing piece that filled the void within her just as she hoped she had nestled perfectly into the parts of him looking to be complete. No... In retrospect she'd known longer than that, but it wasn't until tonight that she'd been able to accept her true feelings by a little crude book that meant everything to her.

Yes, her heart still yearned for him in spite of this cruel twist to this story of theirs-despite the faults and fits-his inhumanness...

And because she loved him so much the torn beauty couldn't let him go though her precious life's blood kept racing down from her blanched skin.

As if sensing this resolve the animatronic who continued to try to pull away from her wailed loudly into the air. The cry rang in her ears-a sound so terribly burdened that her heart splintered through her ribs while his stained hands clenched together into coiled fists. 

 _"Belle-get away-get away from me-run-run away-please! Please-don't let me have the chance to hurt you again."_ He begged without opening his maw to speak like he'd done those first few nights they'd spent together so nervous and unsure. It worried Belle more that she heard him stressing the joint of his jaw so tightly from grinding his teeth that the hinge sounded like it was going to break.

Refusing to release him the determined night guard clung to him around his back, her knuckles starting to turn white from such an unrelenting grip.

“No! I’m not leaving you, because I promised you that I wouldn't! I told you a while back that I wouldn’t l-leave you just like you promised you wouldn't leave my side either!" Underneath her she felt him freeze as it seemed her words and the reminder of his promise struck him far harder than the chaos reigning within. "Through thick and thin that's how promises work work, and no matter what-vows or not, you're my closest friend in this en-entire world-someone more dear to me than you could ever k-know! And I can't... I wont loose you-I won't let you suffer this alone!”

“You... You c-can’t do this! P-Promises or not! Look at me-look at-at-what I’ve done-w-what I’ve done to you! To-to-to-everything-everyone-nothing’s safe-not from me!” He finally looked over his shoulder at her with one eye a tiny yellow dot while the other-huge and alien, peered at her with despair gleaming in its depth. “Let me go-a hospital-you need a hospital-a doctor-anyone-not me-not me-never me-never-hurt-hurt-I’ll only hurt you-make you bleed! Bl-Blood-so much blood-everywhere... It's..."

“T-They’re not that deep! I’m bleeding a bit-they're pretty good cuts I admit, but I-I will handle this-I'll heal in time! You’re the one who just endured a fault-I thought you were breaking beyond repair there, and the way you cried out like you were seeing such terrible things... Worst of all I ran after you all while knowing there was nothing I could do to help you through it, but you're back-you came back to me-it hasn't taken you because you are so much stronger than this error." Her hoarse voice murmured against his shoulder while hot tears ran between the scales of the cold metal plate. "But, I was so scared for a minute-so scared I was going to loose you forever... That you were going to be lost in that part of you, but you didn't let it take you just like a few cuts won't take me away from you."

He tensed further through the flinches and spasms still rolling through his metal shell, yet he wasn't trying to free himself anymore.

Not that she thought he could manage to even if he had the will from the continual popping of his unresponsive joints.

" _No... No..._ You don’t get it... I’ll kill you Belle-if no one stops me-if you don’t leave! Y-You have to go-go and don’t come back-don’t ever come back here!" The desperate and haunted inflection of his more human like voice grew before face turning to the floor so that his mop of wild curls hid his features completely. "Stop-I need to be stopped... I-I don’t want to do this-I don’t want to hurt anyone anymore-you especially… When they said I should be scrapped all those years ago-I should’ve been... Everyone was right-monsters-like me have to re-removed... I need to be destroyed. I can't continue to be allowed to exist if it means I'll-”

 _“ **STOP!** Stop saying those things! Don't you dare!"_ Belle out right bellowed, her fingers curling so tightly into his vest and chest to these claims that felt like they were tearing her insides apart.

H-How could he say such things! Just because he wasn't human physically and suffered things he couldn't control didn't mean that that he had no right to live! Metal or flesh-wires or veins-a soul or something entirely artificial-he deserved to be alive-had every right to exist... But because of the world's cruelty and his inability to fix himself... It just wasn't fair! This suffering-no person as good as him should have to go through it! So why... Why him... And why would someone make a machine that felt everything a human could and then abandon it to that would in turn face the anguish of living in a world not ready for such a creature. It wasn't his fault that he had severely damaged programing that had damned him from connecting to others from the moment he woke up!.

There was no point in focusing on these things that could not be changed, knowing this she loosened her tight grasp over where both hands rested. In the brief moment of silence overtaking the family fun center she noticed again that lack of a heart beat beneath her touch. In its place were the clinging and grinding of gears, but that didn't change her opinion at all as she forced her words to carry on for her.

"Don't say such things... You don't deserve that-I won’t let you go until you realize it, and I certainly won't let you think I'll ever accept that happening! I’m not afraid, not of you! Break me-tear me apart-go ahead, but I know you won’t. That's because you didn’t mean to hurt me when the van frightened you. It was an accident that I wish I could have prevented from ever happening... I knew the alarm had a bad sensor and I didn't think of how it might-"

“No! No! Don't you get it! I’ll do it again though-van or not-I’ll get afraid-I’ll get angry-I'll hurt you like like that man-like that boy! I’ll hurt anyone or do so much worse! You know this, so you have to let me g-you have to forget about me-forget Belle-you can’t save me! You can’t fix me-I’m broken-so very broken!" His rotten looking teeth gnashed at the open air before he grounded them back together to contain the pain erupting from within. "And now I know I am missing my memories-they're stolen and taken from me-again-and again-and again with no answers or hope to ever understand! In that a-abhorrent darkness I know better though! Down there is just rot and decay, pouring and spurting from me-from deep inside me! I'm vile to the core, and the most terrifying thing is I don't know if I'm just a false facade over this evil thing lurking at the back of my mind!”

To hear the one she loved say such things... It hurt more deeply than Belle could ever say as it forced past reoccurrences to come rising up from their graves that sought to crush her under the weight of such misery. Once more she was faced with a being who'd rather accept rusting in sorrow and darkness than be beside others in fear of hurting them... Just like... But, this time in her life it was a machine who suffered through things she couldn't imagine-that no human being could. Never in existing had she had to imagine having to be forced to relive and then forget that which brought seemingly endless pain-to face these things in a body that would act against one's self under a program's protocol that took entire control. Such grief... Such heartache... It had her tears cascading down her cheeks despite having felt like she'd run dry, but she forced herself not to sob out loud in fear of hurting him further.  
  
Fat and heavy they silently slid down her chin in place of his-after all, he couldn't cry like she could tell he would be if he had been capable of it.

Without any true thought the beauty released one of her hands before she laid it atop the side of his head, petting him gently as it was all she could think to do for now. No words or well meaning thoughts could soothe that which she didn't comprehend, however, there were things she could. He'd been alone so long without any companionship or humanity to care for him until that unforeseen collision of their lives that fateful night so long ago. Simply being there for him against his demands of her leaving was all that she could do right now to help ease what bit of his wounded spirit it could reach.

Of course he didn't take it that way-in fact he felt the opposite. As her fingers wound through the soft curled fibers he quickly recoiled like he feared she would impale herself upon him at the merest touch.

 ** _“NO! NO! NO! LET ME GO! DON’T TOUCH ME-I’LL HURT YOU! I'LL DO SOMETHING WORSE TO YOU! GO-LEAVE! BELLE!”_** Wrangled cries of the like began to erupt from him as he began to thrash again-metal clacking against the ground bouncing into the air. That tactic to make her pull away from him didn't phase her at all, but it was hard to hold onto him from his returning strength seeming to drive him to free himself from her. With another attempt he tried to get to his knees, pleading all the while, yet his servos failed him again as they collapsed back to the floor. Over and over he tried as the minutes passed with her refusing to give up or budge an inch.

Eventually his heartbreaking begging for her to destroy him, leave him, and protect herself began to die down from maniac pleads to solemn whispers. With the animatronic's flailing limbs stiffening at his side the loud noise of his parts hitting the ground also faded into the pervading nothingness. Together they laid there quietly-both struggling internally with most of her blood from her torn arm now crusted and smeared on the floor beneath them.

So as her hands trailed over faux locks within reach she listened to the faint parts within him scuffing, clattering, and tinkling-altogether they seemed to be slowing down alongside her own heart beat.  As the dwindling seconds past both of their beats grew more and more slack as they laid there on the floor whose icy touch was seeping into her insides. Beyond the ajar door the wind was scratching at it as if to get in, allowing a few stray flakes to sneak in the gaps that danced along the hall. However, the tired and bleeding security guard paid no mind to the worsening chill, having numbed to these things beyond the warmth ebbing from the mechanical man's chest to her frozen fingers.

That was until he'd finally spoken after such a long span of silence that she realized the gears in his chest had near slowed to a halt.

 _“Please… B-Belle... _Please… D-Don’t let me go… I’m scared-I don't want to dis-disappear-I don't want to die._ ” _He whispered to her in a voice so terribly small and vulnerable that was unlike the impish companion she'd heard so many a night. _“But I don't want anyone to get h-hurt because... Of me anymore-esp-especially not you... And... I-I don't want to be without you-I don't want to say goodbye... Though I know... I know I'm going to loose you forever, because in time you'll come to h-hate me... I'm sorry-I'm so sorry... I' don't want to loose my best friend-the woman I... I..."_

With a quiet sniffle she bit back her tears so she could manage to speak without her voice croaking, her hand all the while drawing closer to the side of his face to caress the glittery fake flesh she'd come to find so beautiful. Was he so prepared for her to abandon him in spite of all she'd promised to him in their time together? To think he had been so damaged by the world that had forsaken him that his instinctual reaction was this clawed at her heart in a manner far worse than his physical ones ever could.

_"You know I could never hate you... Rum... And you don't have to say goodbye-I refuse to just like I refuse to let this separate us. Do you not believe in my feelings for you that much? Have I ever-ever... Let you believe I never wanted to see you again through all we've gone through?"_

Her questions hung heavy in the air as she finally peeled away from him enough to crawl sluggishly over his form. Right away she could feel how tired her body was becoming with the rise of adrenaline in her veins reaching its end. Yet, she was so very tired of not seeing him-of him withdrawing or hiding away the moment something went wrong. Tonight had been going so well in regards to them being open and honest with one another, and then of course this... No, this couldn't set him back because if it did she didn't know how far he would go in try to keep her at bay which a thought ready to shatter her heart to absolute pieces.

Naturally her dear Rumplestiltskin sensed the pressure of her weight against him shifting, but he did not move to force her away or draw her closer either. Moving into this position jostled her wounds, hurting her in the process, but the security guard didn't let that stop herself from lying right before him. Gently Belle's injured arm lifted towards him to find its way to him and over his shoulder. At this point face to face against his wishes she found that his inhuman eyes were completely normal now with their luminescence setting her features ablaze in a yellow glow.

Both sets of metal eyelids clamped tightly together though after they'd flickered about from her face in fear and found the four jagged lines half hidden behind the deep red remains of her coat sleeve. She winched at herself too, having not meant to cause him further pain by seeing the damage, and so she let her hand wander towards his chin that clamped to his upper jaw tightly.

_"Please don't hide from me-you know that you didn't mean to-you cant hate yourself for th-"_

_"What I've done to you is un-unforgivable! A-And I want to promise it will never happen again, but I can't... Because I can't stop it-this thing in me... This part of my mind-its not getting better. I can't be beside you if I-if I can't stop this-and I don't know if I can-it takes me over so quickly, and I fear it asks me to do... Horrible-horrible things! It wants me to hurt people Belle-it wants blood-I can tell-it wants to hurt others! I can't remember but I know-I can 'feel' it... How can... I ever let myself be near-y-you ever again when this-this..."_

There his electronic voice broke with a startling crackle as if unable to bear this weight imposed upon himself any longer.

_"But without you... I'll truly turn to dust..."_

And as they laid there with the bruised and battered beauty looking at him in sorrow the animatronic finally pressed himself towards her and began to weep out loud.

Immediately she responded to that released pain of his own, curling about him in order to be a barrier for him against the entire world. Inside her troubled mind she promised herself and him she would be-that she'd fight to the bitter end against anyone that meant him harm... No one would take him away from her! She was his knight, and more so she was his friend-no one would ever be allowed to hurt him...

She couldn't however... The one thing she couldn't do...

Inside of him… The faults… The fits… Broken bits and lost pieces.

No matter how much she wanted to or how hard she tried she couldn't stop the brokenness he experienced from hurting him or in turn driving him to hurt others.

The utter seriousness of what was happening dawned on her while he trembled in her arms like a terrified child. Once again she was faced with the knowledge of what needed to be done-only now more evident than ever. They needed to get him help-a repairman-a technician-someone who knew enough about robotics to do the job-they needed it really, really, bad or else they were never going to find the means to escape this continual cycling fate... Either of them. If they did not he would just go on fearing about harming another as this 'broken' part continued to fester within him to do just that, and she'd have to keep fearing of one day fulfilling her promise to him-that she would have to do whatever it took to stop him from doing something he could never live with.

But where could they even start looking to find a means to fix this when there was so much on the line? With the way Rumplestiltskin was-a being beyond all logic and technology known so far to man, there was a good likely hood that people would want to harm him or use them for their gain. While she was hopeful she wasn't naive enough to expect everyone would want to help them out of sheer kindness, and she couldn't risk it. As if that wasn't bad enough there was the entire fact they still didn't have an inkling to where he had truly come from or if he was made by this 'ZOSO' let alone who that man's actual identity was. To be honest with herself as she shook alongside the machine it was starting to feel like the whole world was set against them... Telling them at every turn that their tale was one to be of tragedy than a happy ever after.

Even then she refused to believe there was not a sliver hope in them finding a future free from the darkness ensnaring them both. Someway, though she didn't know how, they had to find the answers of his past, his true origins, of how they could repair him and in the end set things right.

When that was done... They could be happy with no worries to stop them from living their lives, right?

And he-her most special someone... Wouldn't have to hurt like this anymore.

There was still time-it wasn't too late for them to change this fate.

There just had to be.

Pressing her cheek against his chest she felt the warmth of his internal parts while the mechanical man's sniffling broke into a whimper at the act. The large metal hands over her shoulders kept moving behind her like they couldn't figure out if they should pull her close or pull her away. After what had occurred it was easy to figure he was holding himself back which she couldn't blame him for. Despite how she wanted him to hold her so badly-to ensure her he was going to not let her go she wanted him to not be overwhelmed in the fear of hurting her again.

 _“I don't know what it is like when you suffer-I wish more than anything that I could make it go away, but I can't... I can't on my own no matter how many books I read or things I study. In the end I... But, no matter what happens now I am right here beside you… With no intention on letting you go-so please… For right don't turn me away-let me hold you for as long as I am able to.”_ She whispered to him just as she was about to kiss his chest before a painful throb to her lips reminded her she'd only harm his psyche further with the blood residing on them.

 _“Oh B-Belle… I'm… I’m so sorry… What I’ve done-to you is some-something I can’t ever… Make up for-I can't… Ever make right… You shouldn't have to hold a monster... A m-monster that hurt you... W-Why though do you force yourself to stay-you're too good-too kind to something like me-"_ Rumplestiltskin began only for her to cut him off with bold fingers slipping over his lips.

Lifting her head back up she peered at his wide open eyes, her heated emotions boring into such anxiety riddled ones. “No more of that-not another word. I have already forgiven you, and you know just how much you mean to me. Before everything that happened I'd told you just that-r-remember how I said I wanted you by my side-that you fixed the missing parts of me that only you can. I meant every single word-no strings attached... S-So all I ask instead is that you stay with me, and that you won't let yourself doubt us-or this we share because I know you feel the same for me too... All I ask is that you don't pull away after this, because I know you're hurting too."

Her voice rang out in the open air overhead into the thick reaching shadows, though she found her throat suddenly hitching as Rumplestiltskin turned his face away, forcing her fingers to slip from him and her eyes from looking into his own. Worry seeped back up into her at this-not of being hurt in any physical sense, but of a possibility that would not be able to ever heal.

"You're already thinking staying away from me will be the right thing to do for both of us-I can tell, but it's not... You'll just break both of our hearts if you pull away! Running from me or the world won't solve this, and if you do you'll only be facing these faults on your own! Let me help you-as much as I can... You're not alone anymore-don't try to tell yourself that I am better off with out you. You know-you know that's not true!"

He remained quiet though like the gears in his mind were turning and whirling as the fear was compelling him to deny her. Urgency to have him give her some confirmation had her grasping his sleeve and tugging at him, trying her best not to seem as distraught as she was ultimately feeling inside.

"Rumple-please-promise me you won't try to run from me! I don't... I don't want to loose you just like how you don't want to loose-we don't have to say goodbye... And it's more than because I feel for you or care for you and that you are my friend.. It's because I... I..."

They were right there, laying upon the edge of her tongue-the truth she'd longed to admit to him. The warmth they brought was doing its best to combat the horrors and cold burrowing into her bones, compelling her to lay her heart out on the line once and for all for the one who'd taken it. For a moment it was so clear in her mind, everything she yearned for within her very grasp as she stared at the odd scaly mechanical and yet beautiful man she loved.

Yet, her bloodied mouth trembled as not a single sound came forth.

Even now... After everything...

She couldn't say it-no she had to say it! He had to know just how much he meant to her!

"I-I lo-"

Her eyes shimmering with brand new tears flung open in surprise when suddenly she felt a hand clamp down on her shoulder inches above her fresh wounds. The slight jostle made the sting bolt up her arm momentarily, but she didn't look at it when the sudden unhinged look Rumplestiltskin was giving towards her. There was no hostility or fury aimed at her, yet the tension of his parts was burning against her form-this uncontrolled emotion consuming him to the point he shook her shoulder gently.

"If I-I let you go I'll hurt you, and If I keep you close I'll hurt you t-too... W-What do I do then Belle? You claim I have a choice to make, but what choice do I make that is right! How d-do I protect you when anything I do will only cause you anguish in the end?!" His panic was rising with every syllable escaping his bared dagger like teeth as the tight hold upon her shoulder cemented her in place-no longer shaking her but exuding the sheer power contained within him. Even then the claws capping the end of those segmented digits did not dig down into her like she now knew they so easily could-like a knife through warm butter. "I care for you, s-so much so it frightens me a-as I've never cared for anything like I do you in my entire existence! Yet-yet-I couldn't even keep such a simple promise a-about your gifts! I already ruined one of them... The c-cravat you gave me... Ruined it with by shedding your blood after we had... Ki... Ki..."

The word for him would not come out either as his hand stilled shaking her, yet he didn't need to say more. On instinct her bleary eyes jumped to what he'd spoken of which was the gift she'd given him still tied about his neck and in one whole piece.

Running after him she'd noticed her own scarf had been ruined from the accident rather quickly while in this darkness it took her blue eyes a moment to notice the few blots of crimson that had settled into the delicate fabric of his golden cravat. For a long while she studied it in silence under his intense burning gaze. He was awaiting her judgement-like it would awaken her to some 'truth' that would cause her to recoil from him at last.

It didn't, but it affected her none the less.

Because it had been a lovely thing when she'd bought it for him, and ignoring the blood it still looked so right about him that she liked to think it had been made for only him in mind.

There was no denying the actuality before her as his words rang true... It was likely those stains would never fully come out of something so fragile-there was no undoing what had been done.

And knowing that she still forced herself to smile for him and for her-forced herself to bare this pain of this knowledge as she slowly reached her hands to it and his plated throat.

"T-That's not so bad... I told you we could just get you another one-not that there is much blood on it... P-Perhaps with a gentle wash it will be as good as new-"

As she'd been reaching for it her arm had brushed against his holding her enough so that her wound had been pressed into his sleeve. The action sent a flood of nerves rushing to her brain screaming in pain that near resulted in her own audible cry as she'd accidentally bit her lip in retaliation. Flinching back from him caused a chain reaction as he ripped his hand away, sparing her any more damage though it left her arms and body empty as he scuttled back with that inhuman speed. By the time he was on his boot clad feet she was pushing herself up off the floor with one arm, panting for breath to combat the hell rushing over her.

"Y-Your wou-wounds-B-Belle-you're still bleeding! It won't stop! You're going to-to-to loose too much blood-if you don't get-get help!" Rumplestiltskin's bellow echoed through the empty halls behind them, passing through her own head that was far too dizzy from the sudden motion of forcing herself to sit up.

She didn't want it to be true, however, he was right... Even the cut to her lip that had already began to swell up wasn't stopping after all this time when she briefly touched it to feel the sticky reside slipping past. While they were not so deep that she needed to fear bleeding out they weren't going to simply scab and heal without getting properly taken care of by a medical professional. The thought of having to go to the hospital now had her gut clenching in dread born from both past and future. She had no time for such a thing! Going to a doctor meant she would have to leave Rumplestiltskin in order to attend to the matter which likely meant that in that time he could fall victim to his doubts-to reject her entirely.

But she had no choice-she had to go-why-why- _why_ -

Needing to get up to her feet and ensure she was fine enough for now Belle launched herself upwards on unsteady legs. The momentum continued to wage war against her body, causing her to sputter a bit as built up saliva clogged her throat that in turn ended up spattering on the ground in a spray of red fluid. Through blurry eyes she saw the alarming sight between her feet, plastered there like a mockery of everything the family fun center she'd loved as a child stood for.

Not a single apology could escape her for forcing him to see such a terrible thing as Rumplestiltskin swiftly slammed himself back into the wall. The loud ring of metal caught her off guard as Belle stared in wide eyed shock between the fallen strands of her auburn hair, utterly horrified of not only this, but how already his eyes were starting to roll about within his head mindlessly.

Yet, he seemed to sense this too as he held up a rattling hands towards her. The clear warning sign for her to not come any closer kept her back, though his head jerking about on its pivot elicited far greater worry. 

'No-no-not another one! There is no way he can handle another fault right after that one! How will he be able to fight it-he barely has enough energy in his body to stave off the protocol's aftereffects!' These thoughts had Belle's mind recoiling with fear at the merest possibility of that happening.

 _"Y-You need to go though-a h-hospital-it'll only get worse the longer you stay here! For-both-both-both-can't stay-stay-not-not with me-stay-Belle-can't be with me-you have to go-go-go-before-before-for-for-four-four!_ **AHHHHHHHHHHHHHH-** _"_

With a flash of leather and green gold metal her animatronic companion flung himself at the very wall behind him with a great mighty screech. There wasn't enough time in those hasty seconds to stop him from what she laid witness to-the repeating bashing of his metal skull against the concrete wall. Her mind told her to move towards him-to stop such violence, and yet she couldn't move a muscle. He'd done this when he'd chased after the man had broken in from the resulting fit, willing to render himself rubble just to stop himself.

_"Rumplestiltskin! Stop! **STOP IT!** " The beauty called out, just about to launch forward and tackle him again right as he whipped back around. Both of his eyes still the large ones that gave her hope he would not falter even if they continued to spiral from the torment inside._

_"No-I won't let it have me-not again! I AM ME! NOT THAT- **THAT-THAT-FOR-FOR-AHHHHHHHHHH!** Belle! You have to go-there's too much-too many! Too much! It's so loud-loud in here! It's going to try and take me-again-and again-breaking-me-every-bit-but-I. WONT. LET. IT!"_

With that final cry the animatronic hurled himself head first one last time at the wall before he fell uselessly against it, slowly sinking to the ground as if his legs could no longer bear the burden of his heavy form. Desperately she wanted to hold him again to tell him it would be all right, but it was evident now doing so would not help at all-she'd given him strength but... His grief was too great, and with how she was covered in splatters of gore and bearing the wounds he'd inflicted by accident it was evident he would continue only to get worse.

Perhaps the most painful part of this all was this. That there was nothing more she could do for him now than to abandon him for the time being... To leave him to this darkness and pray he would return to her.

The thought made her want to scream until her vocals were rendered asunder at the unfairness of the world.

Instead she focused on how this was only temporary state-yes, as soon as she was fixed and cleaned up she would return straight to him to ensure his doubts would not come true! By then surely he-he would be better, and they could work this out-nothing had torn them apart yet and she wanted so badly to believe nothing else would.

By thinking of this she managed to take hold of the strength she needed to continue on.

 _"I have to leave now-I have to get to a hospital or things will only get worse. But, promise me you'll be here when I get back! No matter what I'm going to come right back here once I get this looked at and sorted out-t _hat means you can't... Do anything drastic-don't you think for a second about hurting yourself any further! I'm okay, so I'm going to come right back here as soon as they patch me up-that is my promise! Now promise me!_ " _Belle shouted towards the being that looked at her with enough consciousness left she could see him fighting to remain there with her from where he hunched over on the floor.

Where he kneeled he looked so very small-nothing at all like the dangerous thing he'd been just moments before. In his warm amber eyes she could see all his guilt swallowing him alive and whole as she stared at him, tears and snot all the while leaking down her face. Unclenching and clenching by his side his hand trembled before lifting up slowly, and to her surprise reaching out towards her in a manner that had her sob and reach back for him.

For a moment the tips of their fingers met, brushing just barely across one another-the closest to a goodbye that either of them could muster.

And then his fell away as he looked up at her with a strained look that she could tell meant he was holding himself by a thread.

 _"I promise Belle-I will be right here-I made you a promise a long time ago that I would always be here for you when you are! But... I-I am..."_ She didn't know what he was going to say, and she never would as he forced himself back up, using the wall as a means before he shouted at her one final time. _"You don't need me-not me-not right now-not-not-e-b-but I will wait-wait here for you! I'll keep my promise to you! But you have to go! Go! **GO!** "_

Then far faster than he should be able to move the one she loved so dearly tore off into the depths of the back hallway.

From where she stood she could hear the 'clacking' of his heels across the tiles alongside the clashing of his limbs fading into silence before she could call for him.

 "I-I'll be back-I swear it-I will be back Rumplestiltskin!"

And then she too was barreling forward on unsteady feet, pushing herself to her nearing limit as she forced her way back out into the clawing cold. An icy gale welcomed her back into its embrace which awakened her from almost the otherworldly daze that had over taken her-like the shock one felt after waking up from a nightmare. Standing there she was left to look at the frozen world around her through her whipped about hair and billowing breath. Everything that had previously been a beautiful view shared between them now only looked dull and void of any beauty-just an endless sea of white intent on swallowing up the world.

And through it all the aged spinning wheel was still sitting out in the snow, slowly being claimed by the falling snow. Seeing it now as she trudged through the conditions-unable to find the strength to deal with the blood streaks she'd left behind, had her eyes stinging again with tears that threatened to become icicles hanging off her lashes. Again she was left to ask herself the same question she'd been since the van's alarm had stolen everything away from her... Why did this have to happen-why did it have to happen... Both guardians of Avonlea should have been finally pulling themselves free of the darkness and cage set before them, but now the dense bars were clamped tighter around them than ever before, crushing them with freedom right within their reach.

Thinking of it now... What she'd long for was selfish whim of hers even with its good intentions-that much she understood as she approached the large wheel to tenderly dust off the snow from the claw marked wood that had previously brought such great joy to her companion. Now the likelihood of Rumple ever leaving Avonlea to truly exist outside of its walls was looking less possible with each passing flake. After all, she didn't know if she would even return and find him willing to cooperate with her and let her help him after what had befallen them.

No! She couldn't let herself doubt him and his promise to her just moments ago-he said he would be here waiting for her, and that meant he was believing she would come back! So many times before he'd not thought she would return, so him saying he did believe...

For a moment the pain dissipated from her hear in realization of something that changed the way she viewed what had occurred.

The fault hadn't won then.

Whatever it was inside of Rumplestiltskin-it may have caused him pain and forced him to forget, but it didn't _win_.

He hadn't harmed her while he was breaking, and he hadn't lost faith in her though he doubted himself. That meant the their bond had become strong enough that despite having harmed her he still wished for her to return-would wait for her-would see her again.

And that gave her enough hope to push on against the numbing cold seeping into her boots and the low wind's icy tendrils to face what lay ahead.

He would be here when she got back...

And when she did come back-she would tell him-tell him everything she felt for him and let him know that he was never going to be alone again.

Renewed in a way that defied logic and the condition of her wounded body it wasn't long before Belle was hopping back up into the driver's seat of her father's van. Someway-somehow she'd gotten the spinning wheel in the back too-a feat she couldn't believe she'd accomplished in her state. However, the torn sleeve of her coat had ended up being ripped from the seams that had barely kept it place. In the end it made for a better makeshift bandage than a way to keep her warm, helping prevent the blood from dripping down onto the seat as she turned the engine on and set the vehicle into gear. With a groan from the immense cold the machinery came to life at her fingers will, thrusting forward through the snow that was just shallow enough she could make it onto the freshly snow plowed streets of the nearby neighborhoods.

Though icy and dangerous her eyes all the while couldn't help but keep looking back at Avonlea. Over and over they turned to the rear view mirror reflecting the door she had once again closed upon her dearest friend. It wasn't for long. That was the mantra that kept being repeated over and over in her mind-that fueled her forward to face the opposition her in way with the dawning of the new day.

And as she drove off in the direction of Storybrooke general hospital the world fell into a heavy silence. It wasn't long until faint sound of an engine disappeared into the far distance, as if the fading night was just any other night before she'd arrived to change the walls and halls of the family fun center.

All the while the thinning flakes had continued their way to the earth, speckling the crimson stained ground as if in an attempt to cover the horrid scene impressed there. Before long not a single inch of the carnage that had taken place was visible to any passerby's eye-just a pure layer of dazzling white encompassing the earth. And so with daybreak breaching the horizon it lit up Storybrooke that Christmas Eve morning in a grandiose display of golden hues-a warm welcome befitting the season. Everyone waking to the sight would look out their windows and front doors-filled with hope and joy for such a perfect touch to their holiday...

Everyone except the lone animatronic who stood in horror at the back window of Avonlea...

Watching as the blood he'd split across Avonlea’s parking lot slowly began to seep right back up to the top.


	27. Chapter 27

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> New years has come and gone for the town of Storybrooke, bringing with it the start of another year and its many new promises for the upcoming months. Yet, the future for the two nightly occupants of Avonlea has become uncertain as Rumple is forced to await Belle's return... Though to both their surprise an unfortunate turn of events the night Belle is to be back might bring them literally far closer together than they thought possible.

For all the grandeur that went with the turn of the new year it always seemed to go in the same exact manner as every one before it.

Like a snake shedding its skin the old year had been discarded with great relief in the form of applause and cheer that resonated through every city and town. In that regard little sleepy Storybrooke was no different than anywhere else. While its notorious clock-tower did not ring out at midnight in typical fashion '2013' was still welcomed with rampant celebration from main street to the numerous surrounding neighborhoods. That was at least until it reached the edge of town where in contrast a castle like establishment stood in complete darkness.

It was deep within those thick concrete walls of the family fun center, keeping such festivities at bay, that a certain being had sat unaffected by the ongoing commotion. For him there'd been no echo of any party or humans engaging in such festivities bouncing through out the building’s halls to reach his sensors. Such hollowness pervaded long after as Avonlea remained closed the following day too, leaving only groaning pipes and settling foundation to fill the void. Not that the mechanical man had found it in him to care about such things that day, or the next, or the next after that when Avonlea had finally resumed its normal business hours. Still, it had been a strange year to say the least. Usually with such extra time to himself he would have been taking care of the place as well as enjoying the additional 'freedom' to its fullest in what meager ways he could...

However, unlike the employees and many visitors basking in this fresh perspective Rumplestiltskin could not find an ounce of joy in the yearly renewal.

No, how could he celebrate like he was perfectly all right when everything he cherished and held so dear was so very far away? How could he in that moment smile at the upcoming future when all that made it worth anything was absent from his sight? All the lonesome forgettable New Years he'd seen pass before had almost been as miserable as this-this one being the worst due to how his dearest companion was... So how? How could he hold onto the hope things would be better?

More so how could he even think things would be after what terrible things he’d done to her of all people?

Just as he knew it would happen after the back door had closed shut on that fateful night the terrible loneliness plaguing him had taken over his thoughts. Instead of the distance and space calming him like he had hoped-to let him pick up the broken pieces of himself, he’d been lost to wander in the pain he harbored within. Because of that ongoing despair there was nothing to think of but the severity of his actions though he’d begged his systems not to. Ignoring his cries to no seeming end the machine had watched internally over and over how he’d ruined that beautiful wondrous moment between him and his dearest, showing them both how unsafe and monstrous he was deep inside. All that cruelty he’d inflicted-that horror, pain, and suffering-the brief flickers of carnage he could not place in a world so foreign... The images of it had festered maliciously in his hardware while he sat trapped in his dark devoid tomb day in and day out.

Waiting… And waiting… And waiting…

Until she would come back to keep the promise she'd vowed him that snowy morning stained in a crimson red.

 _'I-I'll be back-I swear it-I will be back Rumplestiltskin!'_ Belle’s accented voice replayed within his head, laced with a heartache now burned forever into his circuitry.

Like those warbled cries there was no forgetting how her blue eyes had been flooded with tears nor the memory of her blood he’d added to his person though he had scrubbed himself clean for hours after he’d removed all traces of it. Most horrible of all was acknowledging what he had done while she had stood so brave and strong. In a cowardly fashion he’d fled from her in order to cope with the madness running amok inside his metal form while she had moved on to tackle the violent aftermath he’d caused. Without any help his beauty had shouldered the injuries she'd obtained and more, taking home her own things as well as managing to grab his large spinning wheel... That was on top of having to drive herself to the hospital too, bleeding and hurting all that while.

Because of him, he reminded himself, she had to go through all of that because of  _him_. By his own doing Belle had left more than torn and bruised-she'd been left to suffer alone while filled with fear about so many things far beyond her control. Then there was the fact she'd been kissed by an ugly inhuman thing she’d put her full trust in that in turn had betrayed her so easily. Yet, despite all that she'd... She’d wept for him as she’d held him close in his rampant brokenness as if he’d done nothing wrong-like he hadn't destroyed everything precious between them.

Only one thing had kept Rumplestiltskin from collapsing right then and there to render himself into useless pieces from his guilt demanding retribution after he watched her leave. While he had near been suffering another fit that night he'd recalled his own vow that Belle had forced him to make-how he'd be here when she got back just as she would return as soon as she could. Of course she had no reason to fear him going anywhere else... Where could he go after all? He knew deep down what she had meant in that fragile moment between last shared between them though. It was because of that promise, and her, and this-this undeniable urge to live in spite of his body or his sins, his wicked claws hadn't been able to find the strength to tear into his wires and cause himself the harm he truly deserved.

That didn't mean he could understand why or how she could forgive him so easily when he could not as the days passed him by with it now well over a week since Christmas Eve had come and gone. The only reason he could think of was an answer that was simple yet more complicated than anything he’d faced, because she was  _Belle,_ nothing more or less. Everything about who she was as a person defied the nature of what humanity he’d faced so far in his existence while for her it was merely being who she naturally was. Through everything they'd experienced together he did not know how such a being could be so kind and open hearted that she could forgive a wretched thing like him as he wore her life essence upon his gruesome mouth and metal claws.

And that was the thought that worried him to no end, for what would that mean in whatever future there was awaiting them?

Well, that was only the case if she chose to return-

"No-no-no! Not if-when! When she will return! Because she promised, and she keeps her word!” Rumplestiltskin told himself in a gruff frustrated manner, his habit of speaking out loud filling his little room. “So I know she'll come back to me-she won’t go and… A-Abandon me just as I will not abandon her, and I won’t break a promise to her! Not ever again!”

As his voice dissipated Avonlea’s emptiness was the only thing that resounded back to where the odd imp currently sat huddled within his cramped hide out despite how Mr. Getto had locked the place up over two hours ago. It took a few seconds before he’d realized what he done which caused him to frown as he turned his attention to the old concrete wall before him. Most of it was unmarred save for a few chips, but recently claw like marks had appeared on a small area of its surface. Given his impeccable memory could pinpoint the exact days, hours, and seconds he’d seen his noble security guard last there was no need for such a record, yet here he was digging a dark claw into the stone to count another day anyways. When he was done he found a total of twelve marks facing him in the pale blue light of his lantern which caused his silicone face to crinkle with further distress.

At this point the mechanical man wasn’t sure how many more marks he could stand to make. He could only hope there wouldn’t be a need to think about it further considering what day it was. For everyone else in town it was a typical Sunday night spent all tucked in bed or preparing for the week ahead of them while for him...

“Belle-she’s supposed to be back tonight. She promised me days ago she would be, and she told Mr. Getto that she’d be back from her trip today to work her shift, so no matter what I will see her again! I won’t have to wait for much longer… Merely a little while more…” The words struggled to escape his plated throat as he flexed his segmented hands at his sides to tray and grasp at their intangible forms. Inside the parts composing him he struggled with a mixture of joy and fear at finally reuniting with with his beloved that spread like a wildfire through out his many cords.

At least waiting for her to come back this entire time had not been him agonizing in absolute silence as the world of Avonlea went on moving about with no clue to the animatronic's plight. In fact he'd been brought some solace when the moon lit hours came and her physical ongoing absence of wandering these halls left him as empty. He couldn't deny how strange it was after all this time... To think that the ring of the phone in the security office had been a frightening thing to him for so long-a warning to hide before humans arrived and possibly spotted him. Now in nights like these it beckoned him from the depth of shadows like a siren's call, causing his metal limbs to clatter as he raced down the bleak halls to reach the phone before the sweet sound ended...

Before he missed her.

Yes, it was thanks to the first call shared late between them that he found out that while Belle had wanted to go back to him as soon as possible after that horrible turn of events, and as much as he wanted it and  _didn't_  want it in fear of harming her worse…  She hadn't been able to.

Right away it had become clear her visit to the hospital had not gone as smoothly as she hoped as she explained it all to him that following morning over the phone in the wee hours much to his surprise and shock at the time. The machine had already been half expecting to not see her arrive at Avonlea that following night due to his atrocities or any night after while the other half had made him wait near the back door from the hallway corner in agonizing anticipation in the chance to see her again. Instead of her appearing before him the phone's shrill cry had rung out, spooking him at first that he hid out of instinct. That was before he decided that it could only be his Belle as the person kept calling back persistently to which he then had rushed to answer it.

From there he'd listened with rapt attention as Belle went on about what had occurred since she left-like how she'd caused some alarm in the staff and her family doctor when she'd arrived despite her warnings of her state ahead of time. While she told him she had prepared herself mentally no one had believed her when she'd 'fibbed' about the situation which was something that killed him inside that she had to do such a thing. Rumplestiltskin knew his knight hated lying to people-it was bad enough she had to constantly hide his existence, and hearing her cover for him with this horrible act that was his fault had caused the machine to nearly break the hinge of his jaw from straining it so hard.

From there she continued to weave the story before him in a hushed voice that gave away she was somewhere at the time where she shouldn't talk out loud. Belle stated she'd told the hospital staff the injuries had been from the storm and her car door, slipping and cutting herself up on some rocks on the ground. She thought it had went over well until her doctor had apparently denied to be true in private. It was there she'd paused for a few moments-as if trying to properly word what she had meant to say next, causing his grasp to tighten about the phone the plastic groaned from the pressure.

With a heavy voice she'd spoke, telling him in a calm manner that her doctor had proclaimed he believed she'd been attacked by an animal...  _A beast._

How little did they know that something far more dangerous than any living creature was the cause for such harm.

Because of that they had kept her much longer than necessary checking her over while they tried to get her to gently admit to the 'truth' much to her frustration as her sigh had reached over the receiver. To her dismay she had at the time relented to another lie, saying it was a dog of some kind with the excuse that she had not admitted to it as she knew creatures like that tended to get put down. Regardless of lies and truth due to the depth of the cuts and to prevent infection she had briefly mentioned-more so muttered so fast he'd almost missed it, that she'd gotten a few stitches...  _Actual_   _stitches_... For both the cuts to her lip and arm as well as pain killers to deal with it all until her 'minor injuries' could properly heal.

Sitting there in her office chair as his beauty tried to make it sound like it was nothing at all-that everything had turned out 'all right' as she laughed the horrors off...

When she should be yelling at him, screaming, hating him for all he'd done... What he continued to put upon her with his vile presence...

He had wanted to be destroyed right then and there.

However, as soon as she'd told him that she’d peppered him with a flurry of worried questions. It had taken Rumplestiltskin far too long to figure out her sudden rise in concern until he'd heard the way his metal body had rattled so wildly that she'd been able to hear it. Horrified at causing her further distress he'd done his best to calm down and pressed her to go on against the uncertainty he could hear in her tone.

Avonlea's noble knight had indeed sounded less than amused as she went on to speak about how they had released her shortly after patching her up only for her to find out they had called her father. Without her approval they figured it was best he went to pick her up as they believed she shouldn't drive with such injuries and weather conditions. Mr. French to her description had gotten 'far too worked up over so little as she was a grown up who could handle it on her own-good grief', as he had swiftly taken her to his apartment to care of her in spite of her vehement protesting. While Moe's reaction had sounded rather overprotective-something his security guard had went on about for a good few minutes, the imp understood it had come from a good place.

However, Mr. French's fatherly concern had kept them from seeing each other before she and her father had to hop onto their plane to Washington the next day like she'd spoken of in that heated moment. As much as he'd wanted to be near her-how he still did at that very moment he reflected on all of this, he hadn't dared to think of begging her to just stop by for a mere minute before traveling across the country to find that she would possibly be...

Knowing what he did now Rumplestiltskin didn't like to think about the point of the French's trip in greater detail due to what it could mean regarding him and his dearest. Nor did his knight it seemed as from then out in their calls she had spoken very little of that aspect, not that the silence changed the ominous weight of it hanging over their heads.

It had surprised him though when she'd admitted that Moe had offered her a chance to stay home despite how important this was for them both. It sounded like her father had not wanted her to be stressed out further after being... Attacked... Like she had, but of course his security guard had persisted in such a very Belle fashion-the woman was so relentlessly stubborn when she had a goal in mind, that he felt felt his never ending awe towards her grow deeper than he thought possible. That feeling intensified as he'd listened to the sorrow lacing Belle's voice at how they could not see each other face to face for a short while. Considering after what had last occurred in their parting Rumplestiltskin thought she should've been thinking it a blessing and not anything to morn like everyone else who'd dealt with him in the past...

_'I'm sorry I couldn't be there Rumple-I'm so sorry, but I promise when I get back I will be there as soon as possible just like I said. So wait for me a while more... Please.'_

Her words has been nothing but genuine towards him-they always were. Just hearing how she wished she could've seen him again, and that she had no plans of turning away helped soothed his weary mind enough to force back the fears building in her absence. Truth was he'd been too ashamed to mention any of his inner turmoil, and from there on out he'd done his best to seem like he was coping after what had happened for her sake and his.

So instead of allowing their conversations to drift to him those following nights with her consistent calls the mechanical man had decided instead to focus solely on her. Most of their time together across the lines was short considering she was in a house full of people far many states away, not the easiest means of space to talk privately, but like clockwork the security office phone would ring every night. Each time he'd asked right away how her trip was going to which she'd delve into that day with such rich detail he could close his eyes to pretend he'd been there beside her. Sure enough there was no further mention of the wounds she suffered let alone the reason she was there at her uncle's house in the first place-neither of them daring to bring it up. No matter if it was about something important or trivial their exchanges comforted him, and made him... Happy... Happy that this trip was at least letting her get a taste of an adventure she longed to have as his companion would go on adoring the beauty the state provided and relishing in talking about the interesting places she'd visited or seen.

But, when there wasn't much of the day for her to talk about or when the air lingered with too much unsaid he did his very best to distract her. From there he'd gone on in his peculiar nasally voice, speaking of things he had heard within Avonlea that day, telling her some long old story she'd not yet heard of days he'd once stood on stage, and any overall nonsense he could think of. Never did he think after what he'd done he'd get to hear her laugh like she did as he admitted to having tried to eat pizza once early on in arriving at Avonlea much to his chagrin. Immediately that adorable sound erupting loudly from the device had whatever it was he called a 'soul' twist within his hull in a most pleasurable while he smiled a jagged toothy smile.

Those brief moments of 'normality'... He'd liked to pretend that nothing had changed between them at all.

No, in those precious calls it was like they were just noble knight and vile sorcerer... Avonlea's security guard and her odd animatronic cohort...

Belle and her Rumplestiltskin, the same as ever.

There was no point in lying for either of them though, because everything had changed between them whether they had wanted it to or not.

After all there was more than just the bloody aftermath of that night making them skirt about certain words and topics like they continued to do. At this point he didn't know which was worst to think about-the depth of his wrongdoings-of his brokenness, or the fear of what had become of them. In the edges of their voices Rumplestiltskin could hear it ever more clearly-this… Apprehension-this  _divide_  that had formed a great chasm across from each other that neither human nor machine seemed to have any idea how to cross. Yet, no matter how much they repressed those thoughts or feelings it wasn't like either of them could simply go on like those proclamations they had made that night hadn't occurred. For him there was no forgetting how they'd shared such deep seated emotions and desires pushing past the edge of friendship... All of that right before they'd kissed one another without pretense or shame, spilling themselves before each other in heated passion.

His keen memory as if to torment him further focused on what Belle had said in that moment he wished he hadn't tainted despite how impossible it sounded. Against drifts of gently falling snow that had enhanced her beauty she'd expressed with the up most honesty what she'd wanted as she'd grasped him tight with no plan on letting go.

_'Rum... D-Don't you dare stop... I do... I want you-only you…'_

She had wanted him back-she had longed for him in the same regard he held for her or at least something close enough he liked to believe.

It was hard to get his mind to wrap around the idea as the animatronic remained slumped in his room, staring at the floor with his two eerie eyes glowing brightly. The idea that something like him would ever be desired in a manner that humans shared for each other was only that of the very fairytales he once performed. When it felt too unreal though his systems would take him back between those fluttering flakes with those heart felt words and puffs of air disappearing into the icy sky, and he knew what she said had been true-it couldn't have been a lie. She had wanted him beyond simple friendship-even the rising fears in him couldn't deny that. Belle, his beauty, his dearest most honorable knight, had wanted to kiss him like she had and be with... With him in a  _deeper_  sense... With them by each other's sides for the rest of her days like she so proclaimed.

He wanted that too-wanted it so much his unfeeling and inhuman body ached for her.

But now...

In the end he didn't know if she had come to _... Love_   _him_... In that sparse tender moment with only seconds for them to relish before he’d ruined any possibility of that. Part of him couldn’t help but wonder-all while knowing he shouldn't, if she had heard his confession-if they had not slipped on the ice... What she would have done in return to hear ‘I love you' from something like him... Maybe, somehow... She would have- _she could have..._ Returned those feelings in full-that she... In spite of what he was-of what he'd done-those horrible- _horrible_   _things_...

Now of course any scenario and 'what if' didn't matter as he knew Belle would no longer be able to reciprocate such feelings in any degree. It was only her infinite kindness alone that allowed them to still be friends at this point as he imagined anyone else would have forfeited him and his horrors without a glance of remorse.

At least he hoped that was the case-that Belle would not abandon him entirely. More than anything else right now he needed to know that they were indeed still friends-that this part of their strange but wondrous relationship had not been lost completely.

From there the dubious doubts arose at the mere chance that wasn't the case which was such a terrible heart wrenching thought for something without one that brought up all sorts of imagery of him being so easily tossed aside. Rumplestiltskin knew right away he was being foolish to think for a second she'd do anything like that as he gripped tightly at his opposite coat sleeves to fend off the worry eating through his hull. In the present with each passing tick of the clock far down the hall these new uncertainties were consuming him more and more-like a virus infecting his various systems, but it wasn't like there was no reason to why such traitorous thoughts were taking hold of him.

It was so very foolish to be so afraid of something so minor, yet unlike the previous nights with the faithful ring of the security office phone...

Belle hadn't called the last two nights.

Both previous evenings he'd followed this new routine he'd formed as he had waited by the phone square in her chair, unmoving and unrelenting for a second to leave the device's proximity until its glorious ring. However, no familar call had risen up to greet his auditory sensors during the six hours he'd spent staring at the phone in near dead silence. The fragile hope he carried had faltered a bit before he'd allowed himself to stay beyond his allotted time just incase she was late. Yet, he'd found his usual warnings begging him to crawl back into his sanctuary before Mr. Getto's arrival as six in the morning passed, and so he'd practically peeled himself away. The rest of that day had been spent pondering in worry within Avonlea's darkness, and that worry only grew when the next night came and the same thing happened. No call, no Belle, nothing but stillness while chaotic thoughts were unleashed into the vacuum of Avonlea through his troublesome habit.

Rumplestiltskin understood fretting would only get him worked up as well as his anxiety, but he knew too he couldn't contain it. Worry from the very moment Belle had left consumed him that she would rethink her promise to him and everything they had-him assuming she would recoil from him like she'd claimed she knew he would fear her doing. He'd tried his best to believe in her as he rejected the sinister voices that had crawled up into his various systems to tell him that he was delusion for denying the truth he didn't want to see.

Already the mocking whispers were coming back, telling him this was where he’d drawn the line. There would be no going back to what they had before even if he somehow did not loose her. They relentlessly taunted him that there was no regaining the tender friendship they once had let alone whatever had happened between them before it all went wrong.

_'Everything you touch gets tainted-everything you touch breaks-you're a monster after all!'_

_'No one could ever care for you-she won't be able to either from what you've done!'_

_'Do you really think she'll come back for something like you-'_

“No-no-it’s not like that-she cares for me! She is my friend-my best friend, and I know that she… She won't... Turn from me! She will come back! SHE WILL!” Rumplestiltskin spat while the very doubts and fears he'd been denying continued to manifest within his processors.

His mind was faltering too much for his comfort as once more he felt like the walls of his small enclosure-this childish looking castle of isolation, would soon collapse on top of him. Realizing it would do him no good to remain sitting there and chance his worries overtaking him the imp shot up in a flash with a great clatter to his worn boots. Both his segmented hands went right away to kneading themselves nervously while he looked about in a flurry as if to find any distraction to keep him otherwise preoccupied.

Yes, he had to get out-out of this room-out of this lonely maddening space! Besides, there was the fact Belle would be here sometime within the next twenty minutes, he needed to be waiting for her in order to see her as soon as possible-to show her he wasn't going to run like he promised! Having such a goal made it easier to drown out the darkness mocking him between his coding as he took to carefully removing the panel blocking the way out of his room before squeezing out between the mass of pipes and machinery into the maintenance room. From there it only took him mere seconds to find himself in the back hallway of Avonlea that was empty as ever. From there his leather clad legs had him wandering down the checker tiles that he'd counted so many times while his inner programing whirled in thought of what he could do as he waited for her.

Rumplestiltskin ended up lingering near the back door she always entered in sadly enough, pacing and turning heel on the tiles so quickly he was sure he would leave scuff marks the janitor would be miffed to find later on. Yet, five minutes passed him by as he did this and still there was no sign of his Belle as not a single resounding slam of a car door closing let alone an engine pulling into the back parking lot. At this point staring at the rectangular slab of metal was only causing his frayed nerves to get worse. Desperation pulled at him then, urging the animatronic to the break room that he practically scrambled down the hall to get inside. From there he wandered in, feeling drawn to the large window he so often stared out of that would allow him better access to viewing the outside world and more importantly to better see his dearest when she arrived.

With their haunting gaze his two alien eyes peered out against the darkness through the blinds, looking upon the mostly ice covered cement and what little else he could see against the shadowed line of trees. As if his servos had locked up by their own choice Rumplestiltskin stood there frozen, watching this cold dreary world. Altogether the hum of the vending machine, the soft rushing of pipes, the faint wind clawing against the glass grew far too loud as he adjusted his auditory settings to pick up any meager sound coming from beyond the pane.

In that span of waiting though the mechanical man found within his head the clock ticking by just like normal. Soon he realized with a few human like blinks of his eyelids that he'd been there far longer waiting than he'd thought when he checked. Much to his dismay ten whole minutes had passed since the strike of midnight which had him finally moving if one could call nervous shuffling in place that.

With no Belle in sight and an empty parking lot looking back at him Rumplestiltskin couldn't deny anymore that there was something wrong.

His beauty was indeed late for her shift now-she hadn't been this late in a long time, and never without forewarning.

Why-why was she so late all of a sudden? Normally the dutiful security guard was at least ten to five minutes early-give or take a few... He should've already heard her key in the back door, the creak of its hinges, as well as the sound of her voice breaking this quiet solemn atmosphere in order to seek him out. Perhaps... Perhaps, she'd fallen behind on schedule was the case-ah! It could be she'd somehow forgotten after all the rush and chaos of having flown back from being out of state-there were time differences after all wasn't there? Or maybe... Maybe time had nothing to do with it-

Maybe she was sitting at home, dreading the mere thought of having to return here-to see him-after what he'd done-what he'd done-done-done-to her-to them-

"N-No-she'll be here... She isn't like that! S-She doesn't fear me! There has to be a simple reason-she's Belle-there is always a reason!" Rumplestiltskin cried out against the fears welling up in his mechanical form, clenching his mottled hands tightly as if it helped defy them.

Frantically then his golden green face glanced about as if seeking some validation or some comfort before landing upon the one true living thing inside the family fun center currently. Sitting where it always did was the small portly cactus he'd been caring for a while now under Belle's guidance. Honestly, the thing looked to be quite thriving under his watchful eye if just a bit too much from how big it was now with its bright orange pot dwarfed by its bulbous form.

He didn't know why on earth he suddenly felt the compulsion to talk to it. It was sheer idiocy to think the pointless plant was concerned itself with the matters at hand, yet his voice flew about the room with the trickster in him flourishing his arms about. "Now-now-don't worry about it Prickle! S-She'll come back you daft worried thorn in my side! Belle has p-promised me just like I promised her for us to be together again... Even after what I did... She'll arrive... The night in't over either-far from it! My dearest is running late is all, and we both know that has happened once before. We'll simply have to tease her about it when she gets here, won't we!"

Of course he got no response from the plant, but talking to it had helped himself if only a little bit. With his hope reinvigorated to an extent there the worried machine stood stock still upon facing the window again, continuing his wait with a steeled determination to not falter nor look away for a single second.

Not a single second he did-not even to blink, but the seconds went by.

Turning into a couple minutes...

Which turned into five minutes...

Then Six... Seven... And more... And more...

Until altogether another ten minutes went by without a single scrap of Belle nor her vehicle appearing beyond the structure of Avonlea. It was well beyond being late now as he stared at the withered husks of leaves being whipped about by the cruel wind outside. Rumplestiltskin himself felt like he could feel such cold with this powerful dread overtaking him. Still, he refused with all his might to give into it completely, recollecting her word that now became a mantra to cast away the creeping darkness.

"She has not abandoned me yet-she had not turned me away! She has held me-k-kissed me-treated me like a... Like a man! Against everything I am and I have done she said she’d come back! She promised she would return to me and I would be here waiting for her!”

However, time did not bend its power nor spare anyone and anything from its influence-him included. Short hand and long hand alike inched and inched forward while he statue like persisted in awaiting his dearest to make it for her shift.

Tick tock of the clock, and before he knew it a whole thirty minutes had gone past.

Persistent ramblings continued through out the emptiness of Avonlea in defiance, but with each oncoming minute the effort behind them began to vanish. Eventually an hour passed with the hands of time aligning, finishing the transition to one by forsaking twelve altogether and at the same time every last bit of Rumplestiltskin's hope. No car, no head lights, no familar head of rich auburn hair or those blue eyes he'd been captivated by since he saw the emotion they'd displayed that night she'd performed to no one on Avonlea's stage.

She... Belle should have been here already... This was beyond just being late, beyond forgetting the time though she was always so impeccable on arriving early. Countless days his little knight surprised him by appearing well before she was suppose to work for no other reason than to bother him, talk with him, be with him as much as that was still as unbelievable to him. She had nothing to gain-no money or anything else, just the company of a dejected old monster that she found the need to befriend against it all...

Except not tonight it seemed.

In the darkness of that lonesome room, trapped within these unfeeling walls alone Rumplestiltskin could no longer deny what was happening. The doubts had been cruel, but in them he know realized had been a mercy to spare him of the severe pain that was now taking over his trembling frame. Standing there he couldn't help but shake-a part of him now wanting to not believe this was reality that he'd known from the moment he'd met her...

Belle... She would not be keeping her promise.

No, she wouldn't show up... Not tonight... Nor tomorrow... Never again.  

He’d done it, hadn't he? After all this time he'd completed his initial goal-he’d driven her away as she'd finally saw reason and realization of her own on what she had to do to protect herself…

The truth was clear to him now, and his fruitless hope shattered at his feet like broken glass.

_'Belle she isn't... She's nog going to come back...'_

The weight of this knowledge near made Rumplestiltskin crumble to the ground with him half expecting his body to splinter and fall to ruined bolts and plates across the tiled floor. Such a fate would be too kind as he found he remained standing there, forced to look out the window that now just mocked him with the slight illumination of his own reflection. Perhaps the saddest thing of all was how there was no comfort to find in anything from this rising agony scorching his circuit boards. The only one to care for him he'd known in this life-the only single one... The only person that had held him, spoke to him, and made him feel like he... Like he would be okay in spite of everything-that he wasn't this...

Belle was now to be only there within memories, and while his memories were forever they were not tangible-they were not whole...

They were not truly real.

"T-This is for the best right... That she d-d-doesn't come back... Yes-I was wrong... W-Wrong to think otherwise..." He told the cactus nearby on the counter very suddenly as if he was the one consulting it of all things-like it was mourning this loss too. Yet, his hand now clamped on the edge of counter to the point he could so easily tear it apart dug into it while his unsteady voice tore out of his plated throat. “I’ll o-only h-hurt her if she does-I'll only r-ruin every-th-thing... It's good s-she didn't come back-right-right? This is what was s-suppose to happen-how it should have been... F-From the beginning... She's free..."

Once more no reply reached him back, and he should have known that, yet ever since his existence had been changed he had come to always wonder if there was someone listening.

No, not anymore... Not anymore... Never again-not like her.

"Why would she have-why w-would I ever think she would come back after what I did to her! Of c-course she'll stay away! She won't come back-it was all lies-lies-she's afraid of m-me-that I'll hurt her a-again! And why shouldn't she!” Through his cries the animatronic found the gears in his chest grinding and clashing with each other so terribly-so uncomfortably it caused glitches in his systems, rendering his body staggering right there upon the tiled floor. Lifting up a hand to his chest Rumplestiltskin tried to speak, but the words were almost choked sounding as this undefinable and never before felt sensation overwhelmed his mechanics. “I can’t… I-I can’t… My body-it’s b-breaking... I'm g-going to fall-apart..."

As if by instinct he found himself near toppling blindly back into the maintenance room, trying to get back into his sanctuary and away from the world that he now wished would collapse upon him. It had to be a better fate to meet than this. As if in response to this pain the body he called his own was sparking physically within him, but he managed to push his way through the opened panel, tripping over the edge he always warned his beauty about when she entered. With a great clatter he fell to his knees, but his processors were anywhere but there in that moment. Not an ounce of him cared about causing another tear in his old leather pants nor the way his systems warned him of this unexplainable damage happening in his core-how he was faltering in a manner it didn't know how to cope with.

"She's not coming b-back... And why would she... She's gone... She's gone-f-forever-I should be happy right? I should be happy that she'll be safe-that she'll never be hurt by me!” The imp cried out from where he was hunched over, his broken voice a complete contrast to his hopeful words. “She’ll live a good long life with s-someone normal-she’ll never have to fear being hurt by me… She won’t be burdened by me anymore either… Belle will be happy-she’ll find her happy ending out there… Though I’ll never see… It… I'll never see her smile again-or hear her voice-or hold her-”

It had only been five months-five months, he'd existed for so much longer alone and detested in memory-forgotten by humanity and hating them and himself for all he lacked and was. Never had he thought before that night he'd ever care about another to this extent or long to be beside someone. It should have stayed that way-he should have driven her out at the very beginning like he intended to spare them both any tragedy-but he hadn't known, and he couldn't... Because he was doomed from the start... They both had been the moment they met each other, for there was no other outcome for it than this-

This story-their story-was truly one with no happy endings.

"Why... Why... Why does it have to be like this..." Rumplestiltskin cried out in a crackled hushed voice-over and over again while inside he pleaded with forces and fates he could not control. In the darkness he felt the faces again, pinpointed and hollow watching his wretchedness with knowing cold gazes.

If only he was a human being! He wouldn't have to hide here in this facade of humanity-this tomb he would be buried in! He could have gone to her to confirm that her not returning was because of her choice, and not rust away in never knowing her exact reasoning! Across snowy icy streets and the town altogether he would have traveled to her, asked her why she had not come back, and asked her why she had broken her promise while pleading for her to come back! Then again if he was human... They would never have met the way they had, and everything would be normal-he'd be some ordinary bloke in town-even if he was ugly he'd be just like everyone else with a chance at a future that was not riddled with misery. They could have met like people do and far better-could have befriended each other like humans did without lies to cover up their realtionship.

In the end there wouldn't be so much pain-so much loneliness-so much heart ache if he wasn't...

This.

But, there was no point in thinking about the things he could not be nor ever will be.

Because he was this…  And he'd always be  _this_.

And he'd always be alone, because he had to be since he shouldn't exist and was broken beyond repair...

For her sake they couldn't be together.

So in the end he'd have to follow through with the promise he'd made to himself long ago.

It was with this the pain-fear-anger-sadness-cruelty of it all-the despair of such a hopeless situation-rose up in a great wave, crushing him beneath a fate was too much to take for his unwinding processors.

For he loved her enough to let her go-he loved her so much- _too, too much_... Real or not-

Yet, he couldn't bare the thought of returning to a pointless life without her.

 ** _“WHY! WHY-WHY DO I HAVE TO BE THIS-WHY AM I THIS-VILE-THING!”_** He screamed out loud without warning-the sound of his crackling voice lurching back at him as in a sudden violent motion he rose back up onto his feet.

This energy-an uncontrollable horrible force beneath his hull and parts was near ripping him apart inside at facing everything he'd gained and so abruptly lost. No matter what he did he was to loose the one he loved who was never going to come back-he was never going to see her again. Such suffering made him continue to cry out in his inhuman screeches, uncaring to sound as he allowed what 'humanity' he held to fall away. Unable to think of anything else as he screamed to the rafters he looked to his shelf of junk-useless-worthless-junk that was in a cruel fashion worth more than he would ever be.

How unfair it was that all this trash could be looked upon and be more accepted than he could ever be-could be considered ‘right’ while he felt and carried pain like any living creature.

 ** _“WHAT DID I DO TO DESRVE THIS! TO BE STUCK AS THIS-A MONSTER-IN THIS HORRID BODY!”_**  Rumplestiltskin spat further, fury and hurt fueling his loss of control that took a violent turn as he raised his hand at the mockery of a life he’d clutched away.

Without a thought more he slammed his hand into the things he'd collect for so long, sending a bag of beautiful marbles shooting off everywhere within his space along with his can of tokens that clattered loudly as they spilt over the floor. Such destruction made his wires and cords spark in momentary relief at letting out the hell raging within him that he wasted no time in raising his clawed hands again. Inhumanly fast he splintered the bottom shelf into pieces with a mighty  _'CRACK'_  of his hard fist colliding with it. More pointless garbage from years and years fell as objects broke, hitting the floor in chaotic array while his rampage continued like his broken wails.

 ** _"I DIDN'T ASK FOR THIS-I DIDN'T WANT THIS! I DON'T WANT TO FEEL-I DON'T WANT CARE! I JUST WANT TO BE A MACHINE-NOT THIS-NOT THIS THING!”_**  The next shelf was demolished, easily broken like how one could crush snow beneath their heel or tear a piece of paper without trying. It wasn’t enough the instant it was done-he needed more-he needed to find a way to stop this agony from destroying him inside. Without hesitating he ripped what little of the board remained straight from the wall, ruining the crude structure further and further into unrepairable shards of what once was.  ** _“I-I HATE HUMANS! I HATE WHAT THEY'VE DONE TO ME! THAT THEY THOUGHT IT WAS ALL RIGHT-TO CREATE AN ABOMINATION! THEN THEY SCORN ME-LAUGH AT ME-THEY ALL ABANDONED ME! LIKE I AM TRASH! LIKE I AM NOTHING-LIKE I DON'T HAVE THE RIGHT TO EXIST! AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!”_**

Instead of breaking those rows of wood his segmented hands shot out with a new urge, grasping at whatever item they could before he hurled whatever it was to the opposing wall. First a glass vase full of colorful sand shattered with his remarkable strength followed by a snow globe he’d found years ago thats liquid and fake flakes showered the ground as it tumbled to lay in fragmented pieces. As things continued to fall and burst from impact, cracking and clattering loudly into the air from his might, his metal chest heaved as his angry voice faltered-sadness and sorrow lacing his pained shrieks.

**_"AND NOW-I'LL NEVER SEE HER AGAIN-I'LL NEVER BE WITH BELLE BECAUSE I AM THIS! BECAUSE I'M BROKEN AND THERE’S THIS-THIS-EVIL AT MY CORE! WHO COULD EVER WANT TO BE WITH-SOMETHING-LIKE-ME! HOW COULD I EVER EVEN THINK THAT SHE MIGHT HAVE COME TO LOVE-”_ **

What Rumplestiltskin grabbed next though as he reeled his arm back to bash it with all the rest against the wall had him freeze mid throw when a jagged edge caught his gaze.

_"Me..."_

The thin bare whisper fell past his lips before he instantly unwound from the violent motion. With a gentleness he'd not had seconds ago he pulled the object to his chest-sparks running in all directions through his body at what he’d almost done. He'd almost... No-not this... He couldn't it was-

A mug, but not just any mug-the one Belle had chipped.

He’d nearly thrown an object forever changed on that night the new security guard dared to come back after meeting the horror of Avonlea face to face. Of course he had kept it with all his other ‘treasures’ on his shelves-most of them now in disrepair on the concrete floor around his boots. Neither of his amber eyes was focused on any of that though as he stared at it, unmoving, unblinking, and so reminiscent of the estranged animatronic before it had slowly gained this recent illusion of humanity. Even without being able to feel he could sense the give of the object within his digits-the mug was so fragile… How easy it would be to crush just by his hand alone.

The machine knew he should have trashed it like all the rest, so why had he stopped? Hadn’t he always meant to throw it out...

In contrast to the cruel thoughts he loosed his grasp about the mug, holding it gently as his other set of fingers reached up to trace his claws gently about the imperfect rim. No, he could never destroy this, especially not when memories of how it came to be flooded his processors-recollections of soft spoken words from his beauty and then one of their first tender moments they’d come to share. With his near perfect memory he recalled that amusement she’d expressed at his fascination regarding a broken piece of ceramic ware when she’d given it to him for him to ‘take care of'. Like photographs he saw within his head her pure awe at finding it again later when he had invited her into his sanctuary for the first time-her delight an imprint he could not forget. Then he replayed how she’d drank from it at the small performance he’d held for her a few months ago… How from across the stage he’d watched how her lips had touched it without fear or repulsion-like how they had touched him…

“It’s just a mug.” Rumplestiltskin quickly whispered to no one at all, repeating his own words to her when she'd accidentally knocked it over in shock at his sudden appearance that night long ago. He’d been fairly puzzled how she'd fretted over it like it was worth far more than what it was-a mug of all things, and that had been why he’d been drawn to it. She should have been afraid of him having come to her again after terrorizing her, but in that moment all the security guard did was look up at him with those beautiful blue eyes in worry of having caused someone trouble over something so-so-

Once again she did things he’d never understand-in the end she'd been as much of a mystery to him as he had been to her. Anyone else upon finding it would have thought the keeper naive or stupid to hold onto such a thing, but not her. In truth for as unique and unorthodox as he knew he was Rumplestiltskin didn’t think anyone could ever be just as strange or different as Belle French.

No... Never like her-there would never be another person like her no matter how long he existed.

And now she was gone.

Instantly all the rage, anger, and fury at his pointlessness subsided with just sorrow taking its place. Unable to remain standing his servos in his knees gave away, having him slowly drop to the ground while he continued to hold the mug close to his chest. Through the overwhelming silence his voice box began to emit a hushed sound, and it took him a few seconds to realize he was sobbing. That should have shamed him for how utterly weak he was, but soon the buildings own creaks and groans sounded like they were mourning as well the loss of their security guard.

_“Why… Why… I didn’t ask to be this… I didn’t ask to be created, and then be rejected by everyone because of what I am… But… I don’t want to stop existing… I don’t want… To be alone either-I don’t want to be without her… Why… Why me… Why does it have to be like this…”_

His terrible metal teeth gritted tighter together as he tried to stop crying, curling up even further around himself as he pressed the mug against his face. In his thoughts Rumplestiltskin imagined it was her touching in in that tactile way of hers that never shied-that she’d be holding him just like she use to. More than ever he felt the shift in his world… He missed-he couldn't deny that. He missed her so much that the parts in his chest weren’t functioning properly as if without her now he didn’t know how to operate or know how to go on. All he had now of her was memories, her book, and this broken physical piece of a memory that was worth far more than his miserable excuse of 'self'.

 _"I know I don’t deserve to b-be in her life-what I’ve done-to her and everyone… But just one more time-I want to see Belle again… More than anything-to hold her-to be with her! But now she's gone-she's gone and she's not coming back, b-because of what I've done!"_  There the imp broke down further, full out crying in his inhuman tearless way as his metal eyelids closed tight from the pain he couldn’t care if was real or not. Like a child the adult size being let it pour out, pleading further with any force listening though he was sure none was just the same as ever. _“Belle-I'm sorry-I'm sorry-please come back! Please-please-don't leave me here all alone! I can't make it go back to way it was b-before-I can't-I can’t… But, I can’t… I don’t want to be without you… I don’t want to exist in a world where you’re not in it!”_

Of course no voice rose up to meet his cries, not that he had expected any would. A part of him still had longed to just hear her echo back as impossible he knew it was now that she'd finally decided to abandon him.

And like before time moved on all the while, passing over him as he wept, and wept, and wept. For once he did not keep track of time, for without the hope of her ever coming back there was no need to be concerned with such a thing. Let Mr. Getto find him-let the world hear this pain he'd hidden so deeply and well for so long, but now it was an open wound that could no longer conceal how he felt... He was too tired and broken for that anymore. As much as he wanted to 'live' he was also so tired of pretending to not 'be', hiding in the shadows like a rat, burrowing away to eventually rust into oblivion where no one would know his name.

Most of all he wanted her-to at least hear her one last time before he could accept this story's conclusion.

One... More... Time.

As unexpected as it was given all that occurred... It seemed he got his wish.

For something... Happened... Something that tore him from his suffering with great shock as something called to him through the halls of Avonlea.

It wasn't Belle, but it was a familar sound he’d come to know all too well. That faint bleating had the whimpering machine swiftly clamoring to his feet as his mechanical eyes flew wide open with a surge of a pleading swelling hope that had his cords writhing within his shell. In the process he'd nearly dropped the mug before grasping it to his chest once more while his mouth remained agape in stunned silence and doubt. Only a few seconds passed before he registered the sound echoing back to him again, realizing then what was going on while he staggered forward without a thought more.

No, this couldn't be... After everything-this-this couldn't be-she'd... She'd... It wasn't her-it couldn't be her-but who would be...

Again it bleated-louder with each step of his taking him out of the thick darkness intent on swallowing him whole.

There was no denying what it was though as he took off, flying out of his hide away, the maintenance room, the hallway with a desperation unlike any other to reach it in time...

For the security office phone was ringing.

 **—————**   

_"Please pick up... Please..."_

Normally holding a phone never required much effort, but after only a couple of minutes Belle felt her arms beginning to shake from the strain.

_"Rumple-where are you... Why-why haven't you answered... P-Please pick up this time-"_

It didn't help that the distracting sweat peppering her brow and face was getting worse as she closed her eyes tightly, willing away the nauseousness coursing through her body. With the way her head swirled about when she leaned over the side of her bed-blood rushing to her face while a great chill coursed in her veins, she already wanted to give up on something so simple. No matter how much her body craved to curl up into a pitiful heap with each shiver she couldn't though. Regardless of what she was enduring the young woman just gritted her teeth together and berated herself for entertaining the mere idea of defeat.

So far she'd failed her friend in every way conceivable tonight, and most of all she'd failed herself. Because of that she couldn't allow herself to rest another wink more until she managed to reach the one she loved so he could know that she... She hadn't meant for this to happen.

Yet, the only way Belle could was continuing to fail from how the unanswered phone line kept bleating loudly in her ear.

Damn it... Why! Why did it have to turn out like this! Of course with her luck as of late she'd end up like she currently was on such an important night-one Rumplestiltskin and her should have been spending together like they had planned! Instead here she was in her bleak and lonesome apartment, trapped within these walls much like how her impish mechanical man was day in and day out, giving her a glimpse of what it was like to be him through out his long existence. Never had she wanted to go running through town to Avonlea more than she did now, but while her mind was pleading for her to do so-to do something- _anything,_  her body dead set against her was not. Of course with how cold it was outside as well-patches of ice coating sidewalks and streets in thin treacherous layers, she wouldn't have been able to make it down her apartment steps let alone to her car safely.

But... She couldn't just fall back asleep like she wanted to while he...

How could she do such a thing when she knew what was going on but her closest friend... He didn't even know, and how could he?

That was the worst part of it all for Belle to swallow, far worse than the medicine or awful taste lingering in her throat. It was the fact that Rumplestiltskin hadn't the slightest clue as to why everything was all wrong tonight.

As Belle laid uselessly beneath her messy hoard of blankets thinking of such things she could only wonder as to what her most special someone was doing at that exact moment. Without a doubt she knew Rumplestiltskin had been awaiting her arrival a few hours ago despite any fears he held about her coming back... Which he had to have in plenty after how they had parted ways-a memory still so fresh in her own mind though the snow from that night was mostly gone. Even then the young woman was sure he'd kept to his own promise as he lurked in family fun center with a hope burning beneath the plates of his chest for her to return like always. But now... In her mind she could see him like he practically stood before her which was an image that pained her more than the sickness in her veins. That golden green face she adored was creased in utter agony, conveying just how heart broken he had to be as he remained confined in the empty shadows of Avonlea...

Lost to the world without any understanding as to why the woman he'd put his trust in had not arrived like she swore she would.

Such images-they hurt too much to contemplate in depth on top of everything else she was going through, yet Belle's mind persisted as she curled her unsteady hand around the phone tighter. What exact sort of thoughts were running through his mind as he stared at the back door she should've entered by now? How much heart ache was he enduring himself as her inability to go to him looked like a betrayal of her very word? Was he raging at her for 'lying' just like the other humans in his life had done? Or... Was he just slumped there in the place he couldn't escape-left to grieve out of belief that now he would never see her again, and that she'd abandoned him in the end like the rest...

Such fears had her throat burn with that terrible taste while more guilt rose up to overtake her weary mind.

However, that very guilt fueled her endless supply of stubborn determination as her face contorted into a defiant expression. She wouldn't allow this to be the case-she'd just keep calling and calling until she reached him or her current condition desisted so she could attempt to travel to Avonlea. With this plan emblazoned in her mind Belle pressed the phone back up to her ear while the continuous ring of the line went on. Beneath her uneven breath she begged for the other end to be picked up despite the growing doubts manifesting in the far corners of her mind. Such hopes fell through when the line quickly went to her office's voice mail like before, playing back her far too cheery voice stating 'be sure to leave a message after the beep' which caused the organ in her chest to crack further.

Ten minutes ago her eyes had been watery from expelling what little content was in her stomach, but now she couldn't prevent the few hot droplets spilling down her cheeks.

This had been her third attempt at calling with no response in a row, something that should've been impossible given that Rumplestiltskin could hear the ring of the security office's phone from almost any where in Avonlea. The only reasoning for this happening that she could think of was that he was still in sleep mode. Except, that idea barely made much sense given she knew his need to follow a strict schedule, not to mention how easy it was to 'wake' him up. Wracking her head further the beauty considered the possibility of someone else being inside Avonlea which would force him to hide until they left... That couldn't be the case either given the hour as well as the select few who had access to the building at all times.

Why then wasn't he picking up if there was no reason that made sense why he shouldn't be?

Part of Belle knew due to her inability to call the last two nights there was another possible explanation for his lack of a response... It was an option too horrible to consider that her red raw eyes scrunched together harder as she berated herself for giving a second to such an unlikely alternative. Deciding now was not the time to cry about things that she couldn't control nor things that couldn't be true she fought away the tears. All she could focus on was this, not her sickness or her failure as a friend the last few nights that her current condition hadn't helped.

So as the loud 'beep' of the answering machine kicked in, alerting her that she was being recorded, the beauty choked back her sorrow to try and talk loud enough through the other end. At this point she full out ignored the possible risk of someone else besides Rumplestiltskin hearing her. Perhaps it was terrible and selfish of her, but she wanted that welcomed voice of his with its electronic crackle and brogue to reach her and warm her frozen soul. After all this the last week and more the disheartened young woman needed to hear him tell her how things would be all right in the end between them... That her forgave her for this while reassuring her they would both be okay-that he was there waiting for just like he said he would be...

He simply had to be there.

She'd made him promise after all! He'd promised her with genuine honesty, and Rumplestiltskin didn't break his word out of choice.

But... She'd made a similar promise with someone else like this once before... Hadn't she? That was right-it was a long time ago, for them to be together again...

And look what had become of them.

Against her will the memory of that very vow came back, fragmented and faded to time and age, but never remotely forgotten.

_'They said I'm doing much better, and I'm feeling better too... So we won't be apart much longer my blue-bell, I promise I will be home soon.'_

Belle didn't notice how she clenched her teeth at the voice she could barely recollect anymore. With it came the accompanying other senses of that day-the last day she'd... Behind those blue eyes arose the muddled sight of that sterile cold room colored only with the bouquets of languid flowers her father brought over in safe plastic vases days before and the quilt her mother was draped in much like herself right now. Taken aback to that moment she could almost smell the faint scent of those flowers mingled amongst disinfectant and cleaning supplies. So intense was this feeling she curled a hand about her shoulder, feeling a sharp pang through her chest at the memory of a final hug from similar hands that would never hold her again. These painful pieces of past festered in her mind for only a few moments more before she willed them away with a soft groan.

This... This between her and Rumple wasn't like that, because this was... Different, and she was too. Time had passed which meant she wasn't the scared little girl anymore too afraid to make a change or too powerless to do anything about it like she could-Oh! The phone-shoot-she was still on the phone!

Having been distracted dealing with these clamoring emotions she finally noticed that the answering machine had been recording nothing for some time, causing her to sputter as she wracked her mind for what to say.

"Hey R-Rumple... I know you're there-not that you already don't know that too..." Belle started lamely, hating all the while the way her voice trembled to her own ears. "I-I don't know if you can hear me-but, please, please pick up... If you're m-mad at me I understand-I'm mad at myself... But, I'm really truly sorry that I didn't make it to Avonlea tonight... I honestly was going to be there-I really want to be there right now-I miss you so-so much... I don't know if you believe me at this point, but let me explain at least... The last two days after getting back from Washington... We were so b-busy I couldn't call... Still, I was planning on... Coming over like I said... B-But then I ended up- _oh god-_ "

For a moment she had to stop to gag deeply as the back of her throat spasmed from a sudden rush of nasty tasting bile. Oh god indeed-she didn't need to be going through another round of this agony while she was on the phone. So with all her might she fought back against the painful yearning twisting in her stomach. After managing to take in some deep breaths Belle had swallowed down the urge, shaking all the while like a withered leaf in a wicked storm. Refusing to give up as she furrowed her brow the worn woman forced herself on since the recording machine hadn't cut her off, though when she tried to speak-

She couldn't utter another syllable as through the phone a different noise altogether interrupted.

At first it startled her as the sound was something clattering against the receiver-like someone had fumbled with it followed by a great rush of whirling air. For a few seconds after these unexpected sounds there was nothing except the slight static of the line having been picked up, leaving her chest growing heavy with unease. She'd been awaiting the phone to be answered for a while, but now that it was she realized there was a chance she'd made a terrible mistake and that someone else could have been in Avonlea tonight. What if this wasn't her beloved, and they had they heard what she was saying all this while? Worse off-if it was Mr. Getto than some supervisor everything she'd spouted could have compromised or endangered Rumplestiltskin while she was here sick and unable to do anything in response.

Even with such thoughts the young woman couldn't move or say anything at all while she waited with held breath in anticipation.

Then finally after what felt to be an eternity of this stillness a voice traveled through the phone, filtered somewhat and imperfect as it spoke, but it was...

Immediately Belle knew that voice from anywhere due to its unique higher pitch and robotic quality from the crackle and pop of audio mechanics. It was a sound that had once unnerved her with eerie laughter and uttered dark jokes used to try and scare her away-to repel her when the inhuman visage before her had not. That was no longer the case and hadn't been for a while as it only caused her love stricken heart to pound wildly within her chest with joy.

For it was none other than Rumplestiltskin of course.

"B-Belle, I'm... I-I'm here-I'm h-here now-d-don't hang up-"

Unable to help herself the sickly night guard gave a sob of relief despite how bad her mechanical companion was stuttering. She hoped his vocal mechanics hadn't somehow degraded to the point his voice had been when they first met in her time away, for now it was proof he was fine and that he didn't feel hurt enough by her broken word to ignore her. In spite of her previous worries weighting her down Belle could only focus on this wonderful fact. Like a wave an abrupt flood of happiness washed over her chilled flesh, causing her to feel a spreading warmth blossom through her limbs that deep down everything would be alright if just for the time being.

As she felt this welcomed warmth her mechanical companion went on, his words almost incomprehensible through the phone. "I wasn't nearby when you f-first rang, but I ran as fast as I could-I-I-I nearly missed your call-I-I didn't mean to-I hadn't heard it s-somehow..."

Taking a few breaths to calm herself while a clammy hand dried her wet cheeks Belle did her best to reply. "R-Rum... You picked up... I'm so glad-I was-I was getting w-worried... I called two times just before, but you didn't answer so I didn't know... I meant to be awake sooner to tell y-you-"

"Y-You did? I-I didn't mean to miss... I missed them-but Belle... I'm... I'm here... Don't worry." He reassured her in a less frantic tone-nervousness still clinging to that nasally quality of his that had her heart squeeze painfully beneath her ribs. It sounded like he'd been in a panic just before all this, but why would't he have been when she'd failed to arrive for her shift without a word as to why. "F-forgive me-I didn't mean to not answer right away... I-I made you think I was g-going to ignore you didn't I... But I pro-promised you-and... M-myself I wasn't going to run! So don't fret-I'm here for you-"

It was then it happened without warning, cutting him off this time as her usual obstinate pride shattered with a sudden great sob.

Normally Belle held onto her own walls as tight as possible-to be brave and bold against all she faced-unmoved and undaunted, however, when it came to him she found she couldn't. That mask of her own making crumbled to pieces as the stress of everything lately collapsed in on itself too. In rivulets Belle found her tears and fears against her will slipping down her face in ruddy streaks alongside the soft cries that resounded within the confines of her bedroom.

"I'm so sorry Rum-I'm so sorry! I'm the one who failed! I didn't make it when I promised you I'd be there... I-I-I tried, but I can't-you must hate me! I'm such a terrible friend! I should be there-I s-should be with you right now!" The deluge escaped past those pale lips in an unrelenting tide born from the besieging might that wracked her form. Releasing these pent up emotions felt cathartic while over the receiver-a cruel reminder of how far they were apart, Belle could hear Rumplestiltskin coo at her with a hushed sound that had her trying to reign back her embarrassing sniffling. There was no teasing or taunting while she cried it out as his soothing noises alongside kind reassurances breached the distance imposed upon them.

"No-no, I don't-I never ever could hate you, dearest... I do not know w-what is going on, b-but why are you crying? Did something bad h-happen-is that why you are not here? W-Were you in a car accident or-please-tell me you are okay-that you're not hurt!" Her animatronic cohort sounded physically pained for a being that could not feel such things as he voiced his increasing concern. Such desperation in his tone alone made the ill human fear that if he could he would've clawed his way through the phone to reach her even if it tore him apart in the process.

"No! It's nothing like that-I'm safe... Both me and my dad are! We made it home without any p-problems!" Belle rushed out in a hurried hoarse breath. Right after that she heard a following electronic crackle of relief on his end, but it was clear to her then that the two of them were far too anxious and nervous in the moment to talk properly like they needed to. For now though she had to press on for both their sakes to ease them down before their nerves got worse. "We're f-fine, we got home all right, except... I need to tell you-I couldn't make it there tonight-because when I... I... I- _S-Shit-_ "

Within seconds Belle shifted from a worried tearfulness to full out gagging as she quickly abandoned her phone on her night stand to grapple at the nearby trashcan beside her bed. Frantically taking hold of it she sat up, feeling the god awful sensation overpowering her will no matter how hard she tried to surpress it. 

Like all day there'd been no time to prepare for what was to come just as she couldn't warn her companion what he was about to hear.

It was horrible and disgusting, but despite how much she didn't want to thrust her head into the empty bin she found herself doing so. The still air overhead of her room was soon filled with the noises of pained retching and gasping that was loud enough for her phone to pick up in horrid detail. On the other end she could imagine the distorted expression her mechanical companion had to be wearing as he listened in, forced to hear her body rejecting what little amounts of liquid and food she had left as it spattered in a bile filled mess against the lining plastic. There was no stopping it until its course was through-she was use to that by now. That didn't mean she was handling the smell and sight of what she had done well, for when she pulled back it caused her to immediately duck back down to dry heave some more.

This horrible compulsion went on for who knows how long before her stomach settled back to a lesser level of nausea. Much to her disgust spit trails and remnants of vomit from her nose and mouth slid down her chin when she slowly moved away. It was as Belle was wiping at her sticky face with a tissue-several of them to be honest, that she realized how much more of a mess she'd left in her wake... And had become in the process.

Perhaps it was best the mechanical man was not there to see how dreadful she looked as she'd dared a glance over at her tall bedroom mirror from the safety of her bed. On the opposing wall staring back at her in the dim light of a lamp was an image of herself in its reflective surface that revealed a ghastly looking appearance. Belle grimaced at the sickly baggy eyes staring back at her as well as the snot running down her nose, the tangled disastrous mess that was her auburn hair, and then there was the bleached complexion of her sweat riddled flesh. The last time she'd ever been this sick or close enough had been so long ago she'd forgotten what it was like in fevered dreams... Well, it had been a night she hadn't recollected very well anyways since she only knew better about it thanks to the very machine on the phone who'd coincidentally enough been involved that day too.

Still, it felt a bit vain to worry about her appearance of all things considering he couldn't even see her, not that her attention was on the mirror for long. As her panting diminished Belle could make out a worried garble of words coming from the device nearby, drawing her focus back to him. A bit of her was a bit amazed the Rumplestiltskin had remained on the line all that while as she heard her name worriedly being called out when she leaned towards it. Anyone else she knew would've hung up and called back to spare themselves the torture, but then again he wasn't equipped with a stomach to feel the same effects a normal person would. Regardless, the sickly beauty grabbed at what few tissues she had remaining in the toppled box beside her bed, cleaned her trembling hands, then picked the phone back up.

"Oh god... I'm so sorry you had to hear that... That was d-disgusting... I d-didn't think I'd be this bad still..." Belle attempted to utter the apology through her rampant sniffling. Curling under her cocoon of blankets again the warmth engulfed her like an old friend even though she knew she was running too warm and not chilled at all like she felt.

"No, dearest... My dearest... You're ill-you can't h-help it, and that's why... Y-You couldn't come tonight b-because... I... I had no idea... I... I am so s-sorry... I wish I had known... I wish..." The way her companion spoke was so soft and gentle that as Belle closed her eyes she could almost sense him beside her.

In her mind she began to imagine those segmented hands of his brushing over her shoulders in that way he couldn't help but do when worried about her-shy and hesitant while longing to touch. Hazy from her sickness she found her thoughts wandering further while she laid against her pillow breathing in softly. From the start they'd interested her with their beautiful painted coloring and gleaming scales embedded into the metal, fitting her smaller hands so wonderfully like they'd been made for her. Despite the dark dangerous claws they sported she knew he would be fervent with them as they combed over her body to ensure she was unharmed-

Against her wishes her gaze flickered to her right arm with the thought, betraying that very sweet image with view of the fresh four pink lines her flesh sported. The floating feel drained from her skin then as she was forced to think upon how they came to be.

Quite a few days after that night the injuries were still a bit sore which was evident with the light dusting of brownish bruising about them. However, in due time she'd been told by Dr. Whale they would become bumpy yet smooth impressions she'd barely notice-scars that she could physically feel forming as her fingers trailed feather like over their surface. Naturally she hadn't mentioned them since telling her impish machine she'd gotten stitches well over a week ago, though now those stitches were all gone with her more recent visit to the hospital just yesterday. The same went for her more slightly sore cut to her bottom lip that she prodded at with her cautious tongue, and it too would leave an impression behind when it completely healed...

Permanent reminders of what had taken place that could not be erased.

Yet, in the end none of the injuries she'd sustained had changed at all how she would jump into Rumple's arms as soon as possible. That frightened figure she'd seen in the snow baring her blood as the brokenness within over took him wasn't truly him, and the knowledge of what he was capable of wasn't going to stop the human from reaching out to the mechanical man... Let alone stop how much she'd come to love him. No, the one Belle held so dear was more complicated than that as she'd come to find out in time. He was sweet, gentle, caring and well... Yes, he was strange just as he was undeniably impish, mischievous, moody, and yet also kind to his core-warmer than any man she'd met even if he was constructed of gears and wiring. Those and his past were the things that made him Rumplestiltskin, not this 'evil' he claimed to be... Even his fears, faults, and doubts-they too were a part of him, and she realized after all of this...

That she loved them all, including that which belonged to such darkness-

"B-Belle... Please, tell me... W-What happened?"

Like always his voice brought her back to him and away from the numerous things overhead that they could deal with in time. Swallowing down a build up of saliva despite the horrible taste in her mouth Belle recalled her goal, attempting then to explain in greater detail what was going on while hoping she'd not interrupt herself again in such an unpleasant manner.

"Heading back from Washington-when we where at the airport terminal... I noticed I was starting to feel unwell. There's a real bad bug going around like usual this time of year, but I wasn't even thinking about it at the... Time, and I didn't stop to consider my less than impressive i-immune system right now... When we got back into Maine..." Already thinking about it was causing more sweat to bead upon her chest while she buried herself deeper beneath her covers. "Ugh... I knew by then I was starting to come down with s-something bad, and so I had to get away from my dad... I couldn't risk him getting sick because of his own health issues... But he was adamant on me seeing the doctor again. They ran a test and confirmed I have some form of stomach flu... Because of that... I can’t risk spreading this around Avonlea since I'm c-contagious right now... I kept thinking what if I got a kid sick because of me or a-another employee? I know... I'd win shitty security guard of the year award for sure… _Oh, god… This sucks so much..._ ”

Uncharacteristically she whined a bit, feeling so small and pathetic as another bough of stomach acid drew up into her throat. There was no time again to warn him, though she imagined he didn't even pull away as she unfurled herself from her bed, grabbed at her trash can again, and let her sickness have its way. This round was a minute of gagging with little to show for it before she flopped back over onto her bed, taking in heavy breaths of the dull air of her apartment. From the nervous sounding trill she heard ebbing from the phone haphazardly by her head she knew what question her companion was planning to ask before he could voice it.

“Don't w-worry, I’m good… For now... I don’t have enough left in me to do much w-worse...Crackers and water... Is about all I've managed to keep down-or had just a short while ago...” Managing a dry chuckle she tried to sound like her usual self except it was apparent to them both she was far from feeling fine.

"This flu... That sounds very serious-d-do you really not have anyone with you to take care of you?" Rumplestiltskin inquired-the lit of his voice strained in a manner she was too familar with when he was about to work himself into a tizzy.

Resigned to the truth she shook her head to no one at all without thinking about it. "No, I can't risk getting anyone else sick. My dad has taken too much time off from the shop not to mention his health again... And Ruby has been busy with the holidays-I c-couldn't... After that I really don't have-It'll be all right though in the end, so don't worry yourself too much. I've been through worse things than the flu in the past... Right now to be honest I'm more worried about you-"

"B-But you are alone! You shouldn't be alone-not like this! Not after everything that has happened!" Naturally her concern for him went disregarded while the ferocity in Rumplestiltskin's voice surprised the beauty a bit from where she laid. "This isn't... Fair-it's not-not to you! You should have s-someone there to care for you... Why... Why does it have to be t-this way? You d-don't deserve this..."

Belle couldn't lie to herself as the thought of someone with her to help her through this sounded more than wonderful. While she'd been more than ready to escape being in a house full of people after her time with her uncle and his family so far across the country deep in her heart the weakened knight longed to have someone beside her, but not just anyone. Most of all she wanted her loyal sorcerer to care for her even when she knew that it couldn't be. Honestly, if she'd been feeling sturdy enough she would've gone to Avonlea if she'd simply been a little bit sick to be with him, but she was also honest when she said she didn't want to get anyone else dragged into this. No one deserved to endure this awful bug that tormented her.

Still, the young woman wished for that silicone face with his adorable jagged smile hovering beside her while he confidently assured her that she'd be well soon. Scenes of him cradling her close to his warm metal chest as he told her from memory the story of a plush rabbit longing to be real, soothing her until she fell asleep in his safe embrace for her to then wake up to him... Such imagery of them together was a beautiful thing that warmed her heart in spite of how she continued to shake. This before her though was all that she could have-the only comfort either of them could know for the time being. Belle was thankful alone that her mechanical man had picked up the phone, and because of that she dared not ask for anything more knowing how fearful he was of the world beyond Avonlea. His own safety was far too important to her to risk for something like this too, not that she was sure he'd...

Forcing herself to accept that she was in for a long night by her lonesome she sighed then hugged the phone closer to at least pretend he was right next to her.

"I promise you as soon as I can make it out the door without hurling I'll be back for my shift... I surely will be in by... By sometime this week given Mr. Getto is less than adamant about me making a q-quick return… College is still on winter break too, but I really must have made you so worried... I can tell..." There was silence there for a few moments after, long and tense that said all that needed to be said when the machine on the line seemed unable to. Just like she'd feared with this abrupt quietness from him it had confirmed for her what had been on his mind while she was away. A terrible burden had laid upon his processors as he waited for her to come back... Which there in lied the problem.

Overall he'd not been expecting she actually would. In truth her failure to arrive had lead him to believe that she'd finally turned her back on word-he'd been in a fear fueled panic because he thought she'd abandoned him at last.

Feeling more than horrible with this revelation Belle brushed swiftly at her watering eyes threatening to spill tears once more.

"When I couldn't call and I failed to show up... You were thinking I wasn't coming back weren't you? And don't lie-you can tell me the truth Rumple... I won't judge you..." The quiet lingered even though the tiniest crack of a gasp from his voice box echoed across the phone-like he'd tried to say something to deny it only it wouldn't break free. There was no anger in her heart at him for having felt such a thing, but she did feel her own self loathing rise at knowing she'd caused such a wonderful being that much more pain when she hadn't meant to. "That's my fault though that you felt that way... It's because I fell deep asleep hours ago when I meant to call you as soon as I knew it was safe to after Avonlea closed... But I was so out of it earlier from the medicine I'm on... That's not an excuse though-I hurt you, and I failed to keep my promise while you kept yours... Thinking I betrayed you was only natural, don't deny it either."

In the end it seemed after all their time together-all those tender moments shared and secrets given willfully, there was a part of him that could not fully trust her. No matter how far she'd pushed against the numerous walls surrounding him she'd found out there were ones that wouldn't come down for her as he continued to fear she would join the ranks of those who'd discarded him so casually. Why-why couldn't he... Did he just not want to let her in because he didn't like her enough to do so? No-she knew that wasn't true, because he'd told her how he want to be beside her out in the snow as they'd confessed such deep things without lies tainting them. She'd thought she'd proven to him then that there was nothing that could tear them apart after that and his fault, but it seemed that wasn't enough...

Perhaps... It was simply because she wasn't enough.

 _No!_ No, It wasn't like that! She knew she was just hurting though Belle didn't want to let it hurt her, knowing what she did about his past she shouldn't-she was better than that, but...

It pained her so deeply to know he couldn't think she'd ever stay beside him that she swore someone taken a dagger and stabbed her in the heart.

Refusing to cry she just bit hard on her bottom lip, causing the wound to alight in fresh pain that was welcomed to this internal one. Before she could be swallowed up by this further the faint sound of metal rattling parts blared through the phone.

"No... No I... It wasn't you why I-it was never you! Such things... It's my fault when I am this-this wretched thing! I... I was being foolish-I chose not to let myself believe because-because I don't know how to do anything b-but be afraid!" Rumplestiltskin cried out, seemingly frantic again while his words kept fumbling from his voice box like an unrelenting tide. "I did-I will not lie! I panicked-I-I-got scared-I let myself think you had d-decided to forget a-about me-that you moved on than hold onto h-hope... But, I should have fought against it-I had believed until things got b-bad-even then I shouldn't have d-dou... Doubted you when I know that you would never do such a thing! After all we've faced you've never once ran and then never came b-back despite what you've seen and how b-broken I am... For that... There's no apology that would be g-good enough to earn y-your forgiveness, but... _Please..._ "

Belle's heart slammed to a stop at the sudden silence before lurching forward when her friend spoke back up-a pained plea beyond anything she'd heard from him before.

 _"I'm... I... I'm sorry! I'm sorry Belle! I'm so sorry-I am! I am-I am! Please... It's foolish-I-I know-it's unfair after what I've just t-told you... After all I've done to you and how I've doubted you, but I need you to tell me we're still friends! Tell me that you plan on... On coming back... Tell me that I'm not... That I'm not going to rot here alone-that I'll l-loose you! I-I-I don't deserve to be with you, but I don't want to go back to how it all was before... Before you... I can't undo what I've done... But I... I... I..."_ He didn't finish whatever it was he was going to say as his muffled gasps died down, leaving in its wake only the rattle of his metal limbs. She could see him without being there in her office-how he was hunched over the phone on her desk, crumpled and defeated as he curled in on himself. It was another image that tore at her soul in ways she'd not experienced before while the urge to race to him had her clawing at her bedding from what little she could do.

"Of course we're still friends-n-nothing about that has changed between us! I care about you so much there's no way I could ever- **EVER** -abandon you! And I certainly will be back-maybe not today or tomorrow... But, I promised I wasn't going to leave you-and no matter how much you fear it I'll tell you again and again till you no longer worry!" Belle proclaimed, her voice steadier and more clear than how'd she'd been able to speak despite the illness having its way with her. The pain that blossomed in her throat as her voice's echo receded was nothing compared to the love pumping in her blood for him in that moment.

Near instantly Rumplestiltskin quieted back down, but only for a few seconds as she then heard the faintest sobs of relief that struck her with a mutual feeling with how her eyes burned. Though his doubting hurt-no point in lying to herself, it like everything else they'd faced didn't change how she felt nor it seemed how he wished to be with her-wether he loved her or not. Yes... That... This truth through the fear-through their own fears... It proved no matter what that she'd be there for him as he'd be there for her, after all he'd kept his own promise when she'd failed hers regardless of the whys and hows. That alone showed Belle that beyond his crumbling walls giving away beneath their fingers that while a part of him doubted her sincerity the part that wanted to believe in her was far stronger.

And for now that was all she needed.

"It'll be alright Rumple... You'll see... I care about you with all my heart, so just take a chance in me okay-believe in us..." Belle took in a deep breath, her lips turning back up into a small sad smile figuring he was wearing a similar one as well.

"I... I will do b-better next time-I will be b-better for you... And for me... Though I can't say I'm s-sorry enough-I-"

Cutting him off again Belle refused to allow him to utter another apology for something that was not his fault-well, her failure at least. "I do not know why you are apologizing since I should be the one doing so... Considering it was me that had caused you so much worry and pain for something as... Normal and pointless as missing work from the flu. I'll have to find a way to make this all up to you somehow... It's the least I can do... Perhaps, I will scrub those old boots of yours... Then again I did get you new ones so... I-I'll have to think of something else, though I'm sure you can think of something for me to do." A dry chuckle left her lips at the end, but it was clear there was hardly any mirth within it.

"Dearest, you do not have to do anything... It's really not your fault... Despite how I remember of all you've done and said for me this is somehow... It's just so hard to believe..." There he took a pause where any normal person would have drawn breath, and though the mechanical imp on the other end did not breath she heard the gush of air from his hydraulics much like her own sigh. "That after everything I've done to you that you would c-choose to still talk to me... Or have anything to do with me. I can't comprehend even with your reasonings why you haven't turned me away time and time again, and I... Certainly don't know what I've d-done to deserve your f-friendship Belle, but I am lucky-I am so-so very lucky... That is was you who took that security guard shift-that you chose to befriend me even for what I am... I couldn't ask for a better friend-that's why I apologize... Because you deserve a better companion than me..."

Such words stunned Belle to say the least, bringing up a rosier hue to her whitened cheeks that made her complexion a healthier looking color. Their genuine honesty-how he so easily discarded the remnants of his pride for her sake, had her hammering heart throbbing from the passion it held for him and him alone. Laying there upon her bed she found that forgiving him was becoming easier and easier as the hurt in her heart had faded away. In contrast to what he believed he was worth every ounce of it, and that had her smile growing while she nuzzled her pillow.

"I'm lucky too, that I have you for a friend regardless of what you think, finding you... I can't say it wasn't unorthodox... But I wouldn't change anything about it-or how I..." The urge to spill forth her feelings arose, but feeling it was not right-not across the phone, Belle pushed it back with a slight hum. "I'm... I'm thankful that you're so understanding about this even though I broke my word."

"Ah-no, I wouldn't say you did. After all you promised if I recall correctly... 'That you'd come back as soon as you could'-I say being rather ill is a hinderance to that." A small titter of his broke over the phone in an awkward manner, making her laugh hoarsely which broke out into a coughing fit much to her dismay. He was patient as ever until she was done hacking away, worrying his metal self all the while with his nervous noises.

After she'd regained herself realized her muddled head felt even stuffier than before which caused her frown to return. It reminded her again of the situation they were in as her gaze fell about plain rather barren bedroom she called hers and not the walls of Avonlea she longed to be within.

"That doesn't change that you're still at Avonlea waiting for me and I... While I'm stuck here... This... This f-fucking sucks!" Normally the explicative never left her mouth unless dire circumstances, but with all her current frustrations it felt good to bear them in what manner she could if just by cursing. "I just want to see you! I want to be by you and talk to you face to face-to tell you h-how everything went and-and..." That longing had her hand reaching out to the empty space of her bed beside her where she felt in her heart he should be only to find it vacant as ever. Once more she knew such a thin wasn't going to happen anytime soon-maybe even longer her doubts warned, but after chiding herself for being so needy she gave a huff before going on. "I really do want to be there w-with you... Just hang tight for now though okay? We'll see each other again before you know it... It'll be b-beside you too instead of me blathering at you over the phone... No doubt you're getting sick of me calling to chatter... On about nothing i-important night after night. Not that it's too different from me being there normally."

"Talking to you no matter the medium is always a pleasure, dearest... And, frankly I hate to say it..." There was that peculiar giggle of his-mischievous sounding if a bit hollow like hers, however, it caused her heart to flicker as she flushed again with heady desire for him from his lowered voice. "But, Prickle isn't the most interesting intellectual I've had the pleasure of conversing with... It's not fair when your audience can't even laugh at your jokes. You could almost say it has a rather..."

"Don't you dare-" Near instantly Belle knew where he was going that she was struggling between internally growing and the giggle building in her throat.

"Dry sense of humor!"

His laughter booming across the phone following such a terrible joke was frustratingly infectious as the lit to it was truer and deeper this time around, enticing her own laughter to break forth and join his. This union of their mingled giggling over such a silly childish thing was strange indeed as it bounced through out the family fun center and small second floor apartment, reaching across town and the space between to bring them together in that moment. As her mouth turned painfully upwards Belle suddenly felt like they were just the way they were before all these things of late had fallen upon them. Within this moment it was as if they'd not yet bared their hearts of their longings for another, or kissed so passionately that Christmas Eve, nor found her blood had been spilt upon a blanket of white to the chaos inside him...

She had already decided she wouldn't change what they had gained in their time together, yet all that had remained unsaid after their confessions of wanting more... Came rushing forth for them both it seemed.

For as the swift din of amused laughter faded away a greater silence than before took its place. It was one that had Belle's heart clenching up as her breath brushed against the phone heavily-her lungs weakened from such exercise after all they'd endured with her ongoing sickness. The many things they'd not spoken of, not even in their calls they'd shared while she was away... She wanted more than ever to talk about them so very much that she didn't know where to begin. Countless times the nervous beauty thought about what she'd told him that snowy night and more-their kiss for one had been eating away at her stomach in anticipation of what was to come after such a declaration. Unsure of where exactly their relationship hung she'd not dared to approach it, now though...

"It's still not right... That you're all alone there." Rumplestiltskin pipped back up out of the blue, drawing her back from her ruminating while she blinked her glassy eyes. Why he brought back up that fact confused her, and that confusion grew as he went, struggling with something he wanted to say though it was determined not to come out right. "Y-you really shouldn't be alone... Not like this... Not when you're sick like this-there has to be s-something..."

Another smile braced her pale face-it was her turn to coo and hush him down from this riled state. "Hey-Rum, trust me when I say I'll be okay... It sucks a lot being alone, but we've both have endured worse hardships, especially lately... Just hearing your voice... It has helped a lot... I do miss you so very much-every day I thought about you and what you have to be going through too… But, if you could just keep talking to me it would mean the world to me... That is if you want to-I'm not very good about not pressuring you into things... I never want you to think you have to do anything you don't want to-you know that right?"

When her voice faded another long pause took place, making her really wish she could see that silicone face of his to make out what emotions flickered across it. If only she wasn't so horribly sick! Then again they wouldn't be in this situation in the first place-she'd be at Avonlea holding him right now. There she had to reminder herself the weakness overtaking her was not her fault, but it was doing its best to cause her as much grief as possible that she grasped her bed sheets tighter.

"I'm-I'm... I can't-I can't sit here while you suffer... I'm so tired of not being able to do any-anything to help you! Time and time again you've helped me... And after what I've done." The imp began again, but this time his tone was stronger than before to which Belle's heart beat picked up in tempo. With no explanation a new worry began to form in her gut, and while she wasn't sure what it meant or why she trusted this instinct that had helped her time and time before. Holding onto her phone the young woman pushed herself to sit up-a struggle to say the least, despite how her stomach lurched with the action. The dizziness in her skull had her surrendering a hand to her forehead before coherent words reached her tongue.

"Rumple? What are you..."

The inquiry went ignored as he continued, seeming to be more so fighting with himself than arguing with her as the sound of her office chair squeaking from the movement caught by the phone. "I can't... I can't let you be alone-after all that's happened... I won't let you be alone... Especially when you d-don't want to be. You should be taken care of-even if it means..." He stopped again while Belle could imagine his habit had him curling the phone cord about his digits as he fought with whatever point he was trying to reach.

"Look, you're right-I don't want to be alone, but there is nothing that can be done about it right no-" Belle tried to say, only for her words to shrivel up and die in her throat with what happened next.

There was no way she could have ever been prepared in any manner for what her beloved said next.

"I'm going to come find you."

Entirely caught off guard with her mouth agape-the air in her lungs all but sucked dry, Belle froze in place. Before her hazy blue eyes the wall filling her perspective became a fuzzy blur to her as this deceleration she heard almost had her drop her phone with her slackened grip. It was just at the last moment her fingers remembered to engage, not that she was focusing on that or anything else beyond that which Rumplestiltskin had spoken.

Words-words she had longed to hear for so desperately-had dreamed of in secret for so long now-

_'I'm going to come find you.'_

For a few seconds Belle was too stunned to believe exactly what she had heard, thinking it perhaps a fault of the phone or her flu addled mind. Perhaps she was dreaming too, and that she'd wake up from this fever induced scene to find none of this had taken place. Seconds passed by, proving to her with reality remaining before her that none of this was pretend-this was very much real.

Then like the flick of a switch their meaning and purpose slammed into her, causing her to draw her gaze from the wall to her lap where he open hand laid trembling. Through her fingers she could feel her heart thrashing so painfully into her ribs it felt like the organ would break free from her aching body.

"W-What are you talking about? You don't mean... Do you?." Maybe if this wasn't a dream he was just joking-surely he did not mean that he would leave Avonlea like he mentioned... As in fully removing himself from the safety of its walls he'd not even left until weeks ago and then venture out... To find her?

"Yes, I'm going to do it... I'm going to leave Avonlea so I can f-find your apartment, and that way you won't be a-alone!" Rumplestiltskin declared even louder than before, and this time the possibility of this being a joke either flew out out the window much like her ability to remain calm.

"W-What... No... No-no-no!" The night guard interjected without a care at all in the moment to what he was going to say further. Sitting upright in her bed she nearly felt enough energy well up to cast aside her disheveled bedding and jump to her feet from this mixture of emotions colliding head on with one another. "W-What are you thinking! You can't! Not tonight-it's absolutely f-freezing outside to the point it'll damage you too if you're out for too long... And... And... You don't know where I live! If you go wandering out in Storybrooke without any clue even at this hour-no! You can't! I really will be fine on my own, so don't you dare get yourself hurt because of me! Hey... What are you doi-are you listening to me!"

Her creaky voice felt like it was ringing through out her apartment and down to the library bellow with how high it spiked towards the end. In the background of the call Belle could make out shuffling and the slight sound of metal parts whirling in wild ferocity to which her fears of this claim being serious only continued to escalate.

"You-You live in the tallest building in storybrooke right?" He asked without quite asking her before going on in his frantic speech without room for her to butt in an inch. "Downtown-beneath the clock tower on main street-that can't be too hard to find in a town like this! No, I can't sit hear and let you suffer again like I had to sit by and watch that one night-like how I had to watch you go... After what I did-I can't do that-I won't! I won't be afraid anymore! I don't want you to be alone-I don't want to be a..."

"Alone." Belle finished for him with a whisper, quieting him again with a single word as her apartment fell back to an eerie stillness. Saying she was conflicted about this turn of events was far too simple of an answer. In the glow of her lamp in her room the idea of him there was one she'd wanted for so long-she longed for it more than words could say. However, the idea of him doing so on his own, daring a whole town he'd watched from windows and feared-across icy streets and a chilly air that could damage a machine if left out in it too long... Never had a night been so imperfect, but his sentiment-his will-what he wanted...

'He doesn't want me to be alone-even after what happened...' Belle's eyes lidded heavily with the thought, her heart beating a sturdy tempo in time. 'There is more to it... He cares for me-he wants to take care of me... But I know he doesn't want to be alone either-he wants to be with me.'

Shaking her head to clear her head she willed herself on while the tremble overtaking her limbs now was overpowered by something other than sickness.

"Rumple, I-I would love for you to be with me-I've wanted you to come with me for a long time, but right now... It's not safe out there for you to be leaving without knowing where you're even going! You can't... Just don't-I-I can try to get you... Rum, please don't do this-I really don't want you to get hurt! Just stay at Avonlea till I can-I can make it over-I'll try to tonight-just give me a little bit of time-”

"Belle... When I'm with you every moment together... I wish I could be the person you needed." The barely audible voice of his stilled her from flinging her legs over the side of her bed while he continued-clear and concise. "The one you truly deserve by your side... You were always right about me-from the start-that night I tried to keep you away you said I was a coward... Which I am a-through and through... I want to run from this-I want to flee from you as much as I want to be with you…In the end though I can't go on or live like this knowing you're suffering by yourself... I'm afraid-I'm so very... Afraid of what I am, what I feel-the world, but more than my fear I worry for you, because you mean everything to me-no, you're more than that... So, I need you to believe in me now."

Before this she thought she'd understood his fear-could sympathize with it, but like reading a book there was nothing quite like experiencing something in one's own perspective. Believe... She... She had to if he made this choice, and with everything happening-like how he'd been left to wait in Avonlea... Would it be fair of her to force him not to because she...

 _“I…"_ When he spoke next it was so hushed and quiet she had to press her phone flush against her face, yet her body reacted as if he'd spoken in a manner more staggering than any cry or wrangled shriek of his. It was her turn now to scrap at the piece of metal and plastic in her hands, begging to be let through to him.  _"I promise...I'm going to make it there... I'm not going to turn away, not when you need someone... So wait for me-just a little while longer..."_

There was no chance to get another word out though, for just like how the call had began it was suddenly cut off with the dead dial tone ringing in her ears-the noise blending well with the state of her mind.

_"Rumple-WAIT-RUMPLE!"_

In spite of how hard she called out his name Belle knew right away she wasn't going to get a response.

For some unexplainable reason the worn syllables flew freely without stopping for a few good long moments with his name breaking the air overhead of her apartment. On top of that her arms were starting to truly hurt from holding the phone for as long as she had so regrettably she flipped it closed when her heart nor limb could go on calling out to no one. With the return of such quiet Belle found herself missing the odd pitched voice of his immediately, having been disheartened on not hearing it the other previous nights that she needed more. Inside her mind though she was far more rilled-thoughts whirling about from sickness and an array of emotions stirred up by what she'd just heard him say before the line had disconnected.

Something she had not expected right now or soon from him at all, and... Something that she'd begun to fear she may never have gotten to hear either.

_'I'm going to come find you.'_

Rumple... He... He was coming for her! In spite of his fears and his doubts after what had happened the last time they were together... Despite everything she knew he had to be suffering through on his own end... The animatronic she held so dear was going to  _leave_  Avonlea-he was willingly choosing to be with her outside of the place he'd been trapped in for so long...

Of course she didn't want him to come over to her apartment on a night like this let alone because she was sick to fret over her. When he got there she was going to drag him inside by the nose and scold him for deciding to be so reckless over something so minute. But... She kept thinking how remarkable this was... That even after having hurt her by accident as well as him knowing he was going to have to face what occurred that night between them he was making this choice all on his own. Rumplestiltskin was breaking free of the chains he'd bound himself in-to go beyond terror and doubt-for her...

Because he chose her over fear and all else.

While her body was aching terribly the tears that were now curling down her blanched sweaty cheeks were not of sorrow of any kind. The soft hiccuping sobs escaping Belle were a complete contrast to the smile that she couldn't fight back from pressing at her cheeks in knowing that what she had with her Rum was not lost in the slightest. In fact it seemed like in spite of everything their bond had only strengthened with the tribulations they'd faced.

However, unlike his spirit her stomach had not steeled itself, and as snot and tears leaked down her chin she felt the horrible weight in her gut shift, forcing her to clutch at the bin beside her once again. After a few minutes of dealing with her ongoing illness in a rather disgusting way she'd grabbed at her tissue box only to find it empty. Another groan escaped her throat as she felt the grossness clinging to her clammy face. Unable to help the rising blush she wiped at herself with her hands in fear of how Rumplestiltskin was going have to see her like this. No doubt he'd be grossed out in person, yet more importantly...

That would only be the case if he managed to get here at all.

"No, he will make it here, because I believe in him." Belle spoke out loud, not caring at all she was telling this to no other through the illness brought haze swarming her thoughts. "He's smart when it comes to this, and I know he won't do this completely blind. I... I still wish I could pick him up-I don't want him out there... But, he's c-coming for me, and I need to be waiting for him."

With that thought in mind the ill beauty pushed herself up from her bed, grasping at her night stand to help her. Everything in her screamed at her not to get up, especially the sloshing about in her guts that caused her to moan a bit through clenched teeth. That didn't stop the determination of hers as it had her ignoring all her body told her so she could swing her legs over and get to her feet. Of course her comforter was dragging after herself given how cold she felt, being sure to grab the trash can as well to deal with the unfortunate... Mess before he arrived. Stomach or no stomach it wasn't something she cared for him to see, and she needed to get her a new bag anyways if she were to throw up again... She hoped not.

All the while she attempted to right things her whole body ached to the point she nearly slumped back over in the kitchen for another round of gagging. Nothing seemed to be able to stop Miss. French though as she got her new bag, cleaned up her face a bit better with a fresh rag, and then tidied the tower of tissues alongside her carelessly thrown aside clothes. She didn't have enough energy to put away her laundry, though she flushed and coughed in fear of Rumplestiltskin doing so for her as he stubbornly would... Considering that Ruby's gift for them both lay neatly folded in her undergarments drawer.

Far too quickly she became burned out on doing anything more as well as with how nauseous she'd become again. So after managing to grab what little she could she stumbled into her living room where she decided to wait, curled up on her couch and peering out the balcony into the barely lit night from the waning moon in the sky and the many dark clouds surrounding it. Besides the white noise of the building and library below her apartment was only disturbed by her quickened breathing from excitement and worry coursing through every fiber of her being. Huddled in blankets she was glad for them as the view outside looked just as icy and cruel as before which was a worrying thought. Entertaining those worries was not an option though as she needed to be strong in waiting for his arrival-something she was not use to doing after so many years alone and kept to herself.

More than that she needed to believe in the bond that she and her mechanical man had formed-that it wouldn't fail them no matter what hardships they endured.

She was going to see him outside of Avonlea-he was coming to her... Those continuous thoughts had her nerves racing through out her small form.

Glancing from the balcony then her blue eyes sparkling in the dark looked to the corner of her living room that had previously been occupied by an end table with knickknacks and stacks of books. All of that had been removed for an odd looking contraption that was a complete contrast to the rest of her space. There a large wheel sat utterly still-a fate it should not be left to, and the small bench accompanying it was empty of any to partake in using the aged old tool. In time now she quickly realized it would no longer have to await its master again, and so the sight of the spinning wheel now filled her heart with joy instead of sorrow. Surely it would make Rumplestiltskin feel more at home when he got here-that he was welcomed and wanted in her space...

Home... _Home_... It was strange how the young woman hadn't felt like this was a home until the thought of him here with her. In her time using these few rooms and walls it had been out of necessity than expressed want-oh, she still longed for more-a proper house to live in-she couldn't deny that. It was images of him amongst this that gave this place a life it didn't have before for her, his leather clad self bringing color to an otherwise forgettable and lonesome looking world.

Then again she'd decided a while back that anywhere with him would be where she belonged... And where he belonged too.

Wishing for that to come true had her grinning painfully against the chill that had her tut her blankets tighter about herself. For now she'd have to be patient a little bit longer as she then looked back out to the balcony door, watching the night sky stir with the wind that moved those hefty looking clouds. Of course she'd wait like she now had promised-she'd remain there as long as she needed since that was all she could do.

And that is what she did while the clock ticked by far too slowly for her liking-her eyes never leaving the view outside.

Waiting… And waiting… And waiting…

With a tired smile for the familar shape of her the one she loved to arrive.

 **—————**   

At the rate he was going Rumplestiltskin feared he was going to make it past the back door's threshold by the time the sun was high in the sky.

Which of course would only make what he was trying to do that more difficult than it already bloody was. It would be very, very, very  _bad_  if he were to wander about Storybrooke with his scaly green mechanical self on full display for the populace of the town to gawk at in abject horror. Not even the worn old coat draped about his form that was barely hanging together would be enough to cover up his... Peculiarities, within the day lit hours. The mere thought of so many eyes upon his person had the machine clenching his hinged jaw as he went about getting ready, for the old paranoia of being discovered and torn apart revived within his circuits. 

Which was likely the reason that despite the time limit he was under as well as his own raging desire to get to Belle as soon as possible his body continued to hesitate. The servos in his shell like limbs were tightening to uncomfortable degrees that reminded him too much of his days wasting away in the maintenance closet-forgotten and languishing in darkness. Part of him felt it was as if they were trying to warn him that he was making not just a mistake, but a foolish, idiotic, utterly asinine one that would get him destroyed and leave Belle broken hearted. Such twisted fears pulled at him with the intent of dragging him under, yet he couldn't let them. Perhaps they were right-maybe he was about to make a mistake that could not be undone... That would end up with him getting 'scraped' for real.

It wouldn't deter him this time.

“I’m doing this for Belle-because she can’t be alone… If no one else can be at her side-it has to be me! I can't get sick-I can finally care for her-in some w-way! So move you useless tin cans I call legs! I'm going-that's f-final!” The animatronic continued to argue such things to himself until his limbs cooperated so he could finish packing a few supplies for this journey ahead of him.

After 'borrowing' a duffel bag from the old storage room he went about his hide out, planing what was necessary to bring and what was not. Having little of anything made it a quick easy task to do as sad as it also was. Inside the confines of the bag he first went about tucking away all the new clothes that Belle had gotten him save for his new boots which he just left nested in a corner to hopefully return and find there later. On top of the clothes he... Well, he knew it was rather silly, but he couldn't leave Avonlea without it or he'd never be able to forgive himself for that choice too. Without having anyone to mock the imp for it he went about settling inside their worn old book-the 'Velveteen Rabbit', patting the cover lovingly before zipping it all up tight.

Unfortunately his crocodile like leather coat he preferred to wear was another thing that had to remain behind as he hung it from what remained of his book shelf. Doing so he had to look upon the mess he'd brought in his breakdown that still lay in shattered glass and wooden splinters at the tips of his pointed boots. A mixture of grief and disgust crossed the artificial construct of Rumplestiltskin's face glancing at... Such pointless destruction. All that heart break, fear, and rage he had bore had ultimately been so unnecessary, and it embarrassed him greatly how he had reacted to Belle's unexplained absence now that he knew better it was a reasonable explanation. Inside he knew that reaction was important for him though-it was a reminder of the brokenness he harbored-no, it was this lack of faith he'd put in the one he held so dear after all they had been through.

Looking back now Rumplestiltskin couldn't understand how he had doubted her so when he had known better that she'd never throw him aside like that. Was it truly that hard for him to accept that someone cared for him while asking for nothing in return, especially when it was someone as kind and as giving as Belle? So many times she'd proven just that-like how she hadn't turned him in when she discovered his existence as frightening as he'd been and as much as he'd deserved it... Nor had she fled when she'd come to know he'd caused so much pain and bloodshed in the past to then in time see him lash out in uncaged violence before her very eyes, and even then she'd not even attempted to escape when he'd in turn harmed... Her... Through the tears and pain she'd remained so unmoved by the horror that was him, choosing instead to reach out for his hand...

That delicate and strong hand of hers, unwavering in all she did... He longed to hold it with his own so much despite his body and this evil inside of him.

Realizing in that moment he'd reached out one of his hands to nothing at all he was brought back to the reality of the empty family fun center about him. With an embarrassed grimace Rumplestiltskin set his hand down at his side, kneading and fumbling with nothing between his metal fingers.

Honestly, he was so frustrated at himself the urge to tear his body apart rose back up, but with a huff of air from the hydraulics in his throat he managed to push his self loathing aside enough to return to the task at hand. Reducing himself to bolts and scraps would do no good for either of them at this point. His destruction wouldn't change the past acts he'd committed, and it certainly wouldn't help Belle in any manner-he wouldn't be able to look after her if liked he'd vowed to minutes ago... Which he couldn't let happen. Though he was a monster and an inhuman machine he was also Rumplestiltskin, and such a terrible sorcerer of his degree could't let his daring knight be kept waiting when she expected him.

With this reaffirmed Rumplestiltskin decided that once he got back he promised he'd clean this mess right away. There was no way he would let Belle see this devastation either as he cringed from the thought of the worried and hurt expression she'd bare towards him upon finding it. After her important trip and their on ongoing problems she didn't need to see the extent of his wretchedness before her eyes again so physical and real. Yes, this was his to clean up alone, but only after he reached Belle's apartment first!

If he did manage to make it... She had a point... He had no idea where he was going.

"No-no-no! **AHHHHHHHHHHHHH!** " The animatronic screeched, his hands grappling with the ends of his faux hair, tugging at the wild brownish-grey strands with his blatant annoyance. "I WILL make it-I will see her again! Because this time-it's on me! And I won't stop trying until I've reached her or my body crumbles to pieces!"

Tearing his glowing gaze from the remains of his hoard he found only one more task left to him. Before moving to close up his tomb-the first time without him in it he realized, he made sure the chipped mug was set on the one of the remaining useable shelves safely. With it secured those sharp claws of his brushed atop its rim as if a parting farewell. It wasn't like he didn't want to take it with him, but it would do no good risking it being broken further in his attempt to make it to Belle's place. With what it meant so clearly now to him after his broken hearted fit he couldn't ever let that happen. Unlike before though with all the things he'd parted with in his lonesome days before his dearest he put all his belief into knowing he'd come back and it'd be right there.

Like how Belle felt towards him... He wouldn't abandoned it... He would see it again.

Again... He was going to see her... After everything... They were...

Yes, as frightening as the prospect was becoming with each drawing second he was going to reunite with her... On top of that he was going to really... Really leave Avonlea. For the first time he would be wandering beyond the lining woods and the shadows the building made-completely alone he had to add, which was unnerving to contemplate. Out there he'd be walking through the remains of snow upon streets and sidewalks where real people spent their days, working, and living such normal lives not bound by a fantasy like family fun center every single day. Naturally he emitted a wary titter to the whole idea of a place such as the outside world... While Belle and Henry accepted him he still didn't belong in it no matter how much the novelty of the idea appealed to him too, however, after years of fearing the town beyond these walls he was finally choosing to take a chance.

That didn't stop his body from rattling as he left the dark hold of the maintenance room, his pace slowing with the anxiety swarming like moths to a light between scraping gears. There were so many ways what he was about to do could go wrong... His coding couldn't help but wander into such possibilities that he practically came to a full stop in due time. What if he ended up running into a person and they did see him in spite of his disguise? Or he could be somewhere he wasn't meant to be and get pulled into a conflict where the... P... Police could show up? After the one time he'd been involved with them-them prodding, pulling, and treating his body like some kind of death contraption than evidence in a crime scene he had not desire to get involved with any of them again. Plus, if he dragged Belle into something of that sort... He wouldn't be able to live if she got hurt trying to rescue him from his own stupidity-she'd saved him countless times already...

But, that was all he was good for after all, getting people hurt-harming and maiming and scaring them.

There the mechanisms in Rumplestiltskin's throat scraped against one another in the closest thing he had to a gulp.

What was he thinking in doing this? Trying to go and help her-he didn't know how to care for an ill human all these years later! The last time he'd dealt with one-Belle coincidentally enough, he'd only been able to watch her suffer until Mr. Getto had finally arrived and found her. Such longings to be with her either didn't change how he wasn't made to be a companion or-or-this was wrong-he-only bad would come of this-if he did this-

Without much thought Rumplestiltskin swiveled on his heel, facing the other direction back toward the maintenance room where he knew he could run and hide like the coward he was. So long as he remained in that darkness no one would get hurt, or suffer, and he wouldn't have to face-

Before he could take a step forward a figure rose up in the processors within his head, forcing his amber eyes to fling open wide from the captivating sight. That face to that form he knew far too well having watched it countless nights-Belle, looking at him head on with those brilliant blue eyes. He could see her there in a blurry room, awaiting him at what had to be her apartment with hope and longing to have him there with her. Though he'd brought her so much grief and pain as of late this was his one chance to help make things right... She deserved it no matter what... She deserved to be happy even if it was the company of a monster that made her feel as such.

Yes, these things he worried about so constantly couldn't matter-possibilities or risks be damned! If he continued to think about them there was no way he was ever going to make it outside, and he had to, because he promised her!

'If I run away that means I'll break my word again-and I don't-I can't... Belle-she needs me, and I need her.' The machine grounded his fearsome jaw together as he then turned around, the age lines of his faux features pulled back with a frightening snarl that had his troublesome doubts scurrying back to their corners.

"I can do this... I can do this... I... Can... Do... This..." Rumplestiltskin chanted out loud, clenching his scaled hands into trembling fists.

Moving onward he rounded the dark corner, seeing the back door ahead of him looming like some ominous portal than the mere slab of metal it was. The 'clacking' of his footfalls sounded far louder tonight than he was use to as Rumplestiltskin marched himself to the back door with his bag in tow. Like before his servos were pushing and fighting him with each step, yet he managed to move forward before he found himself at the edge of that threshold where he stopped. The glow of his eyes had it illuminated almost enough he could see himself in the gleam of the door, leaving him to face this mechanical being looking back.

Once he went through that door there would be no undoing what he had done. It was important Avonlea remained safe in his absence, and because of that Rumplestiltskin would turn the lock so it would engage once he shut it behind him. Even if he knew the security passcode since he lacked without a spare key... It was daunting to accept the idea of being be trapped outside in a wide open world so foreign to him-a hilarious concept in and of itself if the idea didn't terrify him to the point his knees were shaking. Frightened out of his mind he still found the strength to disengage the security alarm, hesitating a bit more when his hand then drifted to the door knob.

The ZOSO|PROTOCOL had long remained silent ever since he first left Avonlea that rainy night... He'd left for his security guard once despite fears... He would do it again.

 _"I'm going to come find you... Belle..."_  The whisper fell from his lips while taking the knob in hand-the lock giving away as he turned it and bared open the edge of his own world.

As he took a wary step out onto the pavement he held onto the door-his last lifeline before he'd be lost at sea. Far too focused on what he knew he needed to do Rumplestiltskin let it slip from his fingers, causing the metal door to groan with a thunderous creak as it slowly began to close shut. Terror unlike any other raced through his various cords and wires, begging him to take hold again and retreat while there was still time.

But, the future-the hope that both he and his Belle held-the woman he adored above all else...

He'd made his choice-he'd chosen Belle instead of being swallowed by fear, and for once he liked to think it was the right choice to make... Regardless of how dangerous it might be in retrospect. With the crunch of bits of gravel and ice beneath his feet the animatronic very much frightened kept his eyes locked forward. Glowing in the thick darkness of night clinging to the earth they were aimed for the endless horizon above the nearby neighborhoods and streets, looking ahead for this 'clock-tower' he knew would lead him to her. That didn't stop the dread from rising up in his cords that writhed within his shell every step he took farther and father away from the only place he'd ever known... The only place he'd been 'meant' for even if he'd failed to belong since the moment he awoke...

Except, that wasn't true anymore.

In actuality he was headed to the one place in the world that would welcome something like him with the only person that had ever gave him a chance against all that he had done...

These things were what kept him going when behind him his auditory sensors caught it-a sound more terrifying than anything he'd heard yet.

It was the sound of lock of the back door of Avonlea clicking into place, sealing the machine's fate.


	28. Chapter 28

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rumplestiltskin finally having made the choice to leave Avonlea to find Belle leaves the sickly night guard nervously awaiting his arrival. Yet, in her time away she had begun to work on trying to find the animatronic's origins and is hopeful to share her work with him soon. It seems she's not the only one interested in uncovering some truths as Belle is faced with a horrifying situation when a familar face from an incident months past reappears...

Tired... She was so... Very... Tired.

A fact made evident as her eyelids began to precariously droop like curtains ready for the end of an stage show. It only made sense she felt more than exhausted after her strenuous long day, so surely closing her eyes for just a couple of minutes couldn't hurt anything... At least that was what her mind told her in a lull so sweet and seductive it was hard to ignore. Wherever she was right now wasn't helping either as she was engulfed in a welcomed warmth that had her drifting away into a blissful state of unconsciousness.

Even then her sluggish thoughts were begging her from doing so. After all she knew she was suppose to be doing something important... Yes, she was, but what had she been doing again?

Struggling against this pull she grasped at what trails of reasoning she had left before she'd fall to the encroaching darkness. Before this she'd been expecting someone while waiting and watching a bleak looking outside world, and that was because... That someone said he was coming for her, so she needed to make sure that he got there-she had to see him again... Him. The one she began to fear would never leave the confines of Avonlea like this... The one whom she realized she loved with all her heart...

Rum... He was...

_Rumple!_

With a startled jolt both of Belle's blue eyes peeled wide open as a sudden surge of fear roused her from the edge of sleep. At first she couldn't figure out where she was or what was happening as everything was too blurry to make out, but with a couple of blinks she fended off the drowsiness tugging at her still. Soon enough the familar sight of her living room filled her perspective despite being hard to tell from how dark it was. The only light source she had at the moment was the dim moonlight sneaking in from the sliding glass door of her balcony from the thick curtains she’d partially left open. Now reassured she was not dreaming though the worn beauty sagged into her couch with a deep sigh as all prior confusion began to melt away...

That was until another burning question formed within her groggy waking mind.

With a shift of her bleary gaze Belle glanced to the glow of a digital clock from the DVD player beneath her TV. There she saw that it had been at least fifteen minutes or so since her call with Rumplestiltskin-right before she'd planted herself on the couch to wait valiantly for him…

Looked like she was doing a marvelous job of it too.

'Did I really... No, how could I have let myself nearly pass out! I need to get up-I have to do something, Rumple! I have to be there for him! I can’t fail him, not when he needs me the most!’ With these muddled panicked thoughts the shroud of sleep encompassing her fell further away as Belle shot forward only to fall back into the cushions when a flash of dizzying pain coursed through her.  _'Oh god-not now!'_

Somehow in her haste she'd forgotten about being sick-the whole reason she was stuck at home in the first place, and because of that she was overcome by a rise of nauseousness that had her stomach raging violently at being disturbed. Clutching her gut Belle let out a moan, finding herself right where she'd left off in her wait for Rumple's arrival as crazy as that continued to sound. At least she hadn't actually jumped up in her shock, not that she felt she had the strength for it. If she had she would’ve likely started spewing again what little remained inside her person... That terrible image set a disgusted look on her already blanched features before she tugged at her blanket that had fallen off of her part ways.

Swaddled back up in her cozy cocoon once more it was no wonder she'd about failed her duty as watch guard. Shaking her head to fight off her feverish thoughts Belle quickly figured it wasn't the best idea to remain nestled there-she’d end up asleep for real in due time. A notion that had her tuck her bottom lip between her teeth. As much as she didn't want to she forced herself to set her feet back upon the floor with bits of sweat already peppering her brow. After a few moments to prepare she managed to stand which took far more effort than she had expected, but the determined woman staggered only a little, clutching at her blanket like a lifeline all the while.

"Oh man, I really want to go to sleep, but I can't... R-Rumple, I know he didn't listen to me... About staying at Avonlea... So I have to make sure he gets here, no matter what... I got to be there for him." Belle muttered to herself, her worn voice breaching the thick silence of her apartment.

However, an important question rose up, causing her throat to tighten painfully. What would she do if he didn't make it to her apartment let alone reach the library? Truth was he was likely lost given the fact he didn't know where he was going in the slightest. If that was the case they were both in trouble if things got dicey out there with how she could barely keep upright without wanting to keel over… So what then-what would she... No… She had to stop thinking such terrible possibilities! Standing there Belle swallowed hard at the nauseous feeling to prevent it from overcoming her just as she had to stop herself from thinking so pessimistically about her and Rumple’s current predicament.

The animatronic himself had said he was going to make it to her, and because of that she had to believe in his promise...

Because if she didn't put her faith in him-if she let this doubt consume her, Belle knew she would crumble against the weight of her own fears and do something rash...

Something that could in turn cause Rumplestiltskin further harm, and she couldn’t allow that.

For once her usual stubbornness turned out to be an aid more than a bane as it had her blocking out anymore doubts while she used a nearby bookcase to pull herself along. Despite what little light was pouring into her apartment it was easy for Belle to maneuver around her books and furniture to reach her balcony door unharmed. There she glanced outside the large pane beneath her blanket draped about her form like a makeshift cloak. Both wide blue eyes flickered about as they began to search for a figure in the darkness, hoping for a familar sight of leather clad legs or glowing amber eyes. Yet, the alley way and surrounding area near her stairwell and the large trash bin was devoid of anyone as per usual, especially this time of night.

Unable to help it her shoulders sagged with her disappointment. Her mechanical imp wasn't anywhere to be seen from what she could perceive, but where on earth was he then? What was happening to him at this same exact moment? And how long would she have to wait like... Well-like this!

Of course as Belle stirred further from the haze of sleep reasoning kicked back in. There she had to sigh, understanding there was no way Rumplestiltskin could've made it to her apartment so soon. It was well established he didn't know where she lived, and despite his inhuman speed Avonlea was some distance away for anyone-human or not, to reach on foot. These logical conclusions satisfied her turmoiled mind... Barely. There were too many unknown variables to consider-worrisome ones at that, and as she pushed such worries away again when one thought took center place in her mind.

Thinking of how he was out there trying to make his way to her in a world he'd been so terrified of... It still felt too unreal even after his unfaltering declaration over the phone still ringing in her ears. With that Belle's breath grew a bit softer as she continued to study the sullen icy looking view.

Before this in his short time having found the courage to step outside of their family fun center he hadn't made much ground to how far away he let himself roam. Together they never made it more than a couple of blocks when they walked during the shifts he felt up for it, and even more so if it was in the direction towards town. In fact Rumplestiltskin barely went out if she was not with him in the first place. At that she had to smile a bit as she recalled how he’d always claim he needed her with him as she 'distracted' him which helped him focus less on the ‘bothersome nuisances' that surrounded them, but this... What he was doing tonight all alone... This was asking a lot of him in terms of him broaching his comfort levels, in fact it was way beyond anything he was prepared for.

What was it like for him, knowing he'd left Avonlea without being able to get back inside...

Trapped out there in an unknown landscape.

There was where her worry truly gnawed at her churning sloshy insides-given how much he cared about the family fun center she knew he’d ensure the place was secured after he left in order to protect it with little regards to his own safety. In turn that reminded her of her constant nagging at him to be careful when he went out while she failed to do what she needed to ensure he would never get locked out by accident.

"There is no point thinking on it now. I should have ensured he had a key in the past or his own phone to, but... No matter what I believe he's going to make it here and I am going to make certain he does-that he is safe..." Belle spoke out loud in a hoarse voice, taking a moment to swallow as her throat was dry from so much heaving and crying. "Even if I have to go outside like this... I-I won't ever... Ever... Let anything happen to him... I can't... I can't risk losing...“

Struggling with her illness and heightened emotions Belle placed a hand against the frigid glass door that began to warm from her body heat. As frustrated as she could be at her own failings her heart softened at knowing what tonight meant for them both-at what her mechanical man was willingly to do-to 'sacrifice' after all the bad that had happened to them of late. It reminded her that it wasn't 'she' who had told him to come here which was an important fact-it was his own conclusion and will that had made that choice. After all she hadn't meant to get sick, and hadn't meant to not be able to visit him as she clearly wanted to more than anything. To be truthful to herself she'd been prepared not to see him for at most a couple of days as much as it killed her inside, but it was 'he' who decided she couldn’t endure this illness alone.

In the end it was just so hard, so irritatingly hard for Belle to try and accept as funny as that was. Like him she was not use to someone caring so intently about her well being or allowing someone to do so either.  Yet, this unordinary and unorthodox night her impish companion was coming for her regardless of the cost, and that thought had her eyes watering again from a burning joy though she reigned the tears back.

"That's right, he will be here soon, because of that… I got to stay awake so I can make sure he gets inside safely and unseen... Easier said than done.” With a soft exhale the young woman pressed her head on the door, leaving a puff of moisture to bead upon the glass.

As her imprints of life slowly dissipated her eyes widened a bit as a sudden idea hit her, causing her to pull back and reach for the balcony's door's latch. As she moved the slab aside a few inches a burst of that winter gale invaded her apartment without a shred of remorse as it brushed across Belle's flesh that quickly pebbled with goosebumps. There she remained in spite of her protesting body, allowing the vicious cold to alight her nerves while she clenched at her blanket.

Freezing herself to remain awake wasn't ideal, but it was working as she her teeth started to chatter from the shivers stealing over her form.

With that the sickly beauty sniffled and turned away from the slightly ajar door, leaving it be for now since it would help her hear when Rumplestiltskin arrived anyways. However, she couldn't go back and sit on her couch like her body demanded which left her a troublesome choice to make with little time to do so. It was clear she needed to prevent herself from passing out as well as hurling more than necessary, so there just had to be something to help keep her awake and ready for anything to happen. Thinking then of how thirsty she was had Belle’s tired eyes widen a bit with another idea-one she was far more eager for.

Wandering into her kitchen it didn’t take her long to find what she was looking for as she grabbed her kettle hanging from its spot under a cabinet. Yes, making a cup of tea was a good idea-it would keep her busy and give her something hardly physical to do as well as sate her parched throat. After setting the kettle settled on a burner the exhausted beauty got her tea pot ready with fresh herbal leaves and set out her favorite mug from the cupboard. As the water began to boil she leaned on the counter to rest for a bit before turning back towards her living room to grab any book... Not that she thought she’d be able to focus on a single word.

Yet, as she shuffled about under her cloak like blanket her gaze fell upon something that swiftly preoccupied her anxious mind.

Besides the terrible mess of tissues and clothes in her bedroom there was another she'd made earlier in the day that she’d forgotten till now. It had been one she'd started right after getting back from her trip before she’d had to give up what she’d been doing when the pain from her sickness became too much to keep focused. Drawing near she studied it all and had to sigh at herself for such unkempt conditions.  Rumple would no doubt be miffed once he got here to see how disorganized she could be as she caught him readjusting her desk space at Avonlea when he thought she wasn’t looking.

At the moment her dinning room table was indeed unusable as it was covered in piles of books that was her ever growing collection of animatronic, mechanical, and technician textbooks as well as construction manuals. Joining them were also papers and a few new folders that varied from more research material to old newspaper articles she'd printed involving Avonlea as well as a few east coast animatronic manufacturers. The most useful tool so far in her research which was her laptop which sat there in the middle of the workspace. Looking at it Belle blinked tiredly before a frown marred her features as she realized she'd failed to power down said device from how its light was ebbing bright and then dark against the wall.

Approaching the table she moved her chair back and sat down, her small figure continuing to shake while her stomach complained to a great degree. Of course she knew reading in the dark wouldn’t be good on her eyes, so she decided to leave the paper and books be while she instead woke her laptop back up. Upon rousing it she was forced to squint in pain, completely unprepared to be smacked by an immediate wall of light. Pushing through the momentary blindness her eyes adjusted while she opened her internet browser, pulled up heremail, and refreshed it with a flicker of anticipation increasing the tempo of her heart.

Belle could only hope someone had responded to one of her messages with something of use in her time away. Truth was she'd begun this research of hers as soon as she could after her first visit to the hospital… That night with Rumple she was still so conflicted on how to feel about... For a while now she’d meant to begin this research properly, but it wasn’t until the accident that she finally understood she couldn't help her impish animatronic on her own, and worst of all there was no time to waste about it either. So now night after night in her time away she'd talked to him while silently working on this new important task of hers. At first she'd meant to tell him about it since it did involve him in its entirety, but with how awkward their conversations continued to be...  In the end her mechanical man was still too effected by what had occurred between them, though she hoped soon enough to have something to share that would change his mind on the matter.

Any day now she was sure she would have something... Something to prove to him that he didn't have to be afraid or rust away in shadows.

Soon, hopefully very soon.

It was then with that silent wish her browser finished refreshing only for her somewhat eager expression to falter when she saw the state of her inbox.

Alas, despite being gone for a few hours there were no new emails or messages at all.

“Damn it... Nothing yet, and I’ve barely made any progress… But, someone has to know something about where these animatronics came from... They... Didn't appear out of thin air.” Belle muttered somewhat frustrated to herself before propping an elbow on the table to hold her heavy head against one hand.

Of course she understood there was no use mulling on an empty inbox when work could be done to change that. Choosing to focus on that instead she decided to at least visit her other sites she’d been lurking on as of late... If a bit too much with the dark circles growing about her eyes.

A few clicks pulled up a messaging board she'd found while she’d been in Washington, but like her email there were no new responses as she scrolled through her thread. A few other users from the forum had posted with most just being curious to gain further information from her than what she'd entailed in her original post and some wishing her luck in her endeavor. It surprised Belle still that the subject of 'animatronics' was a topic that quite a few people were interested in enough to converse like this online. So far she'd even received a few private messages from users offering up businesses she'd could contact that would help her in locating places of origin for the animatronics she was... 'Researching', or companies to compare parts.

However, she couldn't do that and didn't dare to given how strange Rumplestiltskin's story was as well as his 'condition' that so few would be able to understand. For his safety as well as her own she didn’t want to get anyone else heavily involved... At least not yet, not until she'd found someone she could trust. In the mean time that didn't mean she wasn't thankful for every ounce of information and knowledge the boards and forums were providing her.

“Even if I don’t have anything substantial yet I can't give up. I’ll have to branch out further, and I’ll have to work harder too! For him… For me… So we both can be happy, so he doesn't have to suffer anymore...” Her heartfelt whisper filtered through her small apartment until she caught on, her face crumpling into a sheepish expression aimed at herself. It seemed Rumple's own habits were rubbing off on her much like she was rubbing off on him.

Yet, she had to admit she was feeling a bit defeated from a week and more's worth of work and attempts leading her in pointless circles. Browsing a bit more for the time being Belle clicked away on her keys to find her other frequented site of late in a similar state. There too were no messages concluding the origins of the animatronics that had been at Avonlea with Rumplestiltskin which was what she was using as a starting point for safety measures, and definitely no one knew anything of this ZOSO person at all no matter how hard they dug. There’d been a few suggestions that perhaps this ZOSO had run a scheme to make money off of poorly crafted animatronics or stolen ones, but another theory caught her attention even more. There was a possibility such a name like his was a moniker to conceal his true identity, something Belle had wondered to that here and there in the back of her mind.

Truth was Belle was sure that Rumplestiltskin's creator-this ZOSO, had even given a false name to Mr. Getto when they had their transaction too. Everything about the man screamed mysterious and untrustworthy-full of hidden intent, and to be further honest with herself… There was something in her aching gut that told her there was far more to him and this transaction that had lead to Avonlea becoming Rumplestiltskin's home.

The biggest question on her mind regarding him and all of this though was... Why? Why hide who one was when dealing with simple stage show animatronics? Then again she already knew Rumplestiltskin was no simple animatronic as ZOSO's letter had confirmed the machine was meant to be something much more, something that would change 'humanity'... If that was the case what was Rumplestiltskin supposed to be then? Had he been made on purpose like this or was what he was unintentional? What was the meaning of ZOSO-the ZOSO|PROTOCOL, ‘Forty-Four’, this ‘Lazarus’ Rumple sang about, and the significance of 01-A? What did all of that mean in terms to the mechanical imp she knew harbored a ‘soul’ or the closest thing man had been able to artificially create?

It all had to be important, and if it was important she had to figure it out to help her dearest friend, to fix him, and to sate her own curiosity spiraling out of control-

Suddenly Belle’s fingers halted their clacking across her keyboard as a noise she couldn't identify breached the silence around her.

Blinking away her tiredness the worn woman sat up straight in her chair with a befuddled expression creasing the corners of her mouth. At first she wondered if she’d only hallucinated the odd sound from her sickness, but straining her ears she paused to find that she had indeed caught a faint noise drifting into her apartment. It took a few more seconds until she recognized what the muffled noise was, causing her eyes to light up while her heart shot off like a finale of fireworks against her rib cage. Without a thought more she forced herself back up, and in the process almost dropped to her knees from how her legs quaked and her stomach jolted. However, with a desperation settled upon her pale features Belle fought through the pain to drag herself back towards the balcony door.

As she got closer this noise became clearer against the low howl of the winter wind wailing away. She hadn't made it up-it was a voice she heard despite how it was still too far away and quiet to make out what it was saying nor who alone it was. There was only one person she knew it could be at such a time of night or out in such weather conditions. That thought had her mouth twitching into a painfully wide smile as hot fresh moisture burned at the corner of her eyes.

‘Rumple-it’s him! He made it here! I have to go let him in-fast!’ The command rang through her mind, but needing to see him with her own two eyes Belle reached for the glass door's handle to yank it wide open, his name brimming on the tip of her tongue.

Except, that was when something caught her wide sky blue gaze, halting that wondrous sound building in her throat.

Something was not quite... _Right_.

Near the street light that stood at one end of the back alley, not close enough for her to make out too much, was a figure standing there half casted in shadows. As the wind kept rustling away she squinted her eyes to better see this person in such poor lighting, noticing they were draped in a heavy coat that concealed most of their form. Blinking further Belle held one hand on the door frame, remaining hidden in the shadows of her room to make sense of it all. All too swiftly her inquisitive expression-her innate curiosity, fell away, and not from a rise of excitement or happiness let alone awestruck or surprise, but from a sense of dread that was slowly creeping across her flesh.

With a studious eye she noted whoever it was was a little too short to be Rumple, and too wide to be him either. The coat he borrowed to go outside didn't look like that as well, his was torn, heavier, and older looking, not to mention her animatronic didn't wear jeans... And that…

That stocking hat the man wore beneath that hood-a bright spec of red in an otherwise grey world... She'd... She'd seen it before once, hadn't she?

Before she could think much further the fearful night guard realized the man was talking again from the slight echo of a muffled voice bouncing her way. Once more it was too low for her to understand, but she found herself more than thankful she hadn’t wretched open the door and had called out earlier to draw attention to herself. It was only because she hadn't done that or turned on the living room light that she hadn't been spotted, which allowed her to watch this scene in much needed secret. As she stood there she remained statue still in the darkness-frozen to the spot from more than the cold inflicted upon her.

It wasn’t long before she observed this unknown man walk further towards the street light as if he was awaiting something to happen, holding an object in one hand… Was that a cell phone? The sleep deprived woman wasn’t sure, yet now that he was more illuminated Belle could make out more of his features. After a few seconds she realized it was a man she'd knew had been in Avonlea some time ago. The man had a slight beard with mustache and the rounder face of heavier set man-he wasn't anyone who lived in Storybrooke that she knew of… But, why… Why was he so familar to-

Then it hit her, slamming into her like a brick wall which had her gasp silently in dawning horror before she scrambled to cover her mouth with both hands.

That... That day of the school party at Avonlea there was a man who had gotten lost in the pizzeria looking for the bathroom… The one who had pretended to be a father for a child there so that he could…

No, it couldn’t be him, but that hat and that face it was… She knew-she knew- _she knew,_ no matter how much she didn’t want to believe.

There was only one thing that made this all worse, so far worse than she could’ve ever imagined that she began to choke from the fear consuming her logical mind. Without warning the sound of new footsteps echoed down the alley, drawing near to the man while her eyes gazed upon this terrible sight. To think it would turn out like this-the nightmare she'd had months ago becoming a reality she couldn't wake up from no matter how hard she dug her nails into her cheeks.

The man in the red hat… The one that had attacked her in Avonlea on that night a few months ago…

He’d come back after all, but this time… This time...

He was not alone.

—————

**_ 'Clack-clack-clack-' _ **

Beneath the dark cloudy sky an odd mechanical whirring rose up, mingling with the howling wind sweeping over Storybrooke. 

The figure causing such noises continued on his way as he slipped between the shadows of conifer trees and darted through empty backyards. Here and there he paused with his pair of glowing eyes flickering about to determine if it was safe before taking off again. Stealth was important in his mission after all, and many years spent wandering a family fun center undetected gave him a fair advantage as he flew past dark neighborhoods and dimly lit street corners... But this... What he was doing tonight was more dangerous than anything he’d ever faced, causing the wary animatronic to constantly grit his jagged teeth.

It didn’t help when bits of snow that hadn't melted from the last storm crunched underneath his boots, spooking him on each occasion. Part of his programming still couldn’t believe he’d gone through with this insane idea... Except the definitive proof was all around him as frightening as it was. Really it hadn't taken long before the machine found himself wandering further from Avonlea than he ever dared to go, not even with Belle at his side or when he'd went out to save Henry. His servos weren't assisting him in his progress either as they kept threatening to lock up, and whether they were doing so from fear or the extreme cold he'd been warned of he hadn't the slightest clue.

Not being able to physically feel one of the two made it more troublesome to figure out.

Regardless of the freezing world about his unfeeling form or the nervousness sparking in his wires Rumplestiltskin pressed on in a land so foreign to the checkered tiles and concrete walls of his family fun center. As scared as he was it wasn't like he could chicken out and return to Avonlea. Thanks to his own doing the back door had locked behind him, leaving him stranded with no means to get back inside. At this rate finding Belle's apartment before the sun rose up over the horizon and he was spotted by townsfolk or the cold broke him down was his only means of salvation... Of course he had to reach her apartment for a reason more important than that-more important than his own existence could ever be.

His systems were unable to help it then as he thought of his most recent promise and of his beloved while crouching behind some low branched trees to survey this new surrounding he found himself in. He was positive Belle was worriedly awaiting him at her apartment, horribly sick and lonesome all while she'd been left without anyone to help her through it. Such a fate had been too cruel to stand by and allow, especially after he’d been forced to watch her suffer like that when she'd been a wee sick child fourteen years ago. From that image of her in pain and struggling the churning parts within his chest sped up to an uncomfortable degree, yet it also gave him the strength to take a chance as he wandered out of the darkness of a small wooded area into...

Rumplestiltskin found his suspicion confirmed as he looked about, seeming to have stumbled into some sort of... City park?

Being cooped up in a building for twenty eight years kept him from relating to the outside world, but with a quick observation the scenery matched what little he knew about them. There was a small playground set a good pace away with swings, a slide, and jungle gym, and then there was a frozen pond in the distance as well as a small structure with a roof and picnic tables used for outdoor events. With a human like blink he understood this was where everyone came out in the summer time to enjoy the weather while children frolicked and played to their hearts content. Such a concept wasn't too different from the purpose of Avonlea-minus the fantasy vibe, pizza, and machinery, and thus the animatronic neared the open building with a soft expression stretched over his faux face. 

Daring himself he reached out a clawed hand to touch a wooden pillar he'd noticed had a few carvings whittled into it. Most of them were silly pointless things like 'M+D' in the shape of a heart, various initials, and symbols he couldn't place. However, these had him more than intrigued at these pieces of people's memories left behind from days spent freely in the sun-totems to experiences that only humans could have. At that he had to wonder if Belle had ever done such things too. It was likely as a child she'd played about on many a play-set, perhaps even whittled her name in a tree while her parents grilled hamburgers on a warm sunny day.

Such images had Rumplestiltskin lost within his own head until his systems nipped at him, reminding him of the dire situation at hand.

Quickly his budding smile fell into a frown as he pulled himself away, pocketing his inhuman looking hands in the process. Since the moment he’d left Avonlea he made sure to scan the nearby area for other 'life', and doing so again he found he was still alone. That meant he had ample time to try and get his runaway thoughts in order while loitering in the structure's shadows.

"Okay, I’m at the city park... Does that mean I am close by? Belle never mentioned where the park is in our time together in relation to the rest of the town.. Why... Why didn't I ask further on the phone-stupid pile of useless scrap metal! I didn't even think to look at a map before I left!" After grumbling out loud the machine tugged at the coat hood about his head to ensure his features stayed hidden, not that his eyes lighting up the space around him were great at keeping him inconspicuous. 

Damn, he really could have used a map though-he was positive Mr. Getto had one in his office as well as information on where Belle lived to boot in his personal records... All of that would've been so easy to get into without anyone knowing and saved him precious time! Except now that wasn't even an option since he bloody well locked himself out after having rushed to be what… A hero? Instead of that he was the very mockery of any dashing noble prince riding in to save the day-he was just a fool-hardy imp that couldn't even find the local public library!

That thought made his wires writhe out of embarrassment while inside his skull he could already hear Belle's voice scolding him at such thoughtless recklessness. To be honest Rumplestiltskin was surprised at himself for having done this so… So… _Carelessly_. Every day of his existence-even before the horrible event he'd caused so many years ago, he'd lived with a sense of wariness towards everything. Every action required calculating the odds to determine if the risk was worth it or not since he could trust so little-hell, he could barely trust himself. With that he'd ‘lived’ on such a bound schedule-on a set of strict fearful rules that had embedded themselves into his programming... Never daring to do anything not deemed remotely safe... Only now...

He was here now in such a troublesome predicament, throwing caution to the wind and doing all that he'd never thought he'd be able to do-that he shouldn’t do...

All his choices to break free, leave Avonlea, and try to find a place in a world he wasn't meant for-to be beside the one he wanted to love more than anything...

All of it was inspired by her.

The first time he'd snuck out of his hole to watch her through the window of the kitchen's double doors in Avonlea had been a high risk-one he'd not thought to chance for anyone else. How strange it was now to think that it took only one person to spark the change in something like him to fight against all that he feared for so long.

It was these thoughts of her that had his spirit or whatever existed in his metal form surge with renewed motivation. Huffing at himself the animatronic decided he'd wasted enough time dawdling as he looked about the park to see if there was anything he could use to get his bearings. At first there seemed to be nothing more to note besides walking paths and a nearby water fountain, only to his surprise moments later his gaze landed upon something that caught his immediate attention.

Upon muddy boots he drew himself close to what appeared to be a large sign that was standing by a nearby trail. With closer inspection he realized it was an notice board behind a glass case with a park map, and despite the time of year a few pieces of assorted papers hung up inside it. Both his eyes lit up then to their brightest intensity as he studied it all, finding one flyer was for an upcoming festival he'd heard about called 'Miner's Day', another went on about a city restoration meeting at town hall, and... Ah! Both his segmented hands pressed themselves firmly against the glass alongside his crooked nose as one in particular claimed his interest.

The pamphlet was for a local eatery he knew well enough over the years from eavesdropping on employees and his noble knight-the one and only 'Granny's Diner', but more than that it was the important key to him finding his beauty! There his golden-green lips curled back into a lopsided grin befitting his impish form, and in the blink of an eye he memorized the information there before peeling himself off the display case. Much to his frustration his borrowed coat and bag he carried got caught in-between his shoulder plates in the process, forcing him to take the time to tug at the sleeves. Yet, with this new lead he was speedy in making his way through the park and towards the nearest street sign he could find. 

All right, the plan wasn't the most brilliant thing in the world, but at times like these one had to make do with what one had.

On the flyer there'd been a picture of the diner as well as a small map to the place with directions from the highway into town. Rumplestiltskin knew enough about the eatery from Belle's past descriptions that it was down town itself since she frequented it so often... That meant if he got to Granny’s he would easily find the library and more importantly Belle’s apartment.

With this route somewhat determined the animatronic took off-a yellow spotted shade slinking about empty streets while bare branches rustled over head from the winter gale. Of course he made sure not to cause too much of a scene, yet he didn't waste his time tip toeing about either. While remaining down right fearful of traveling about where humans dwelled it became clearer that for he had little to worry about on a night like this. Thanks to the wicked weather there was hardly anyone out and about-as few should... Save for when a white van's head lights suddenly turned on down a narrow street which had the machine throwing himself in a row of tall shrubs to evade being seen. When it drove off a few minutes later he'd crawled out, releasing an exasperated growl at having to do such a humiliating thing before brushing the twigs and leaves off his person.

It took about five minutes of lost prowling in the dark after that, nearly to the point of loosing hope, when he managed to come across just the junction he was looking for. It had been difficult to bite back the screech of glee he felt when he'd nearly stumbled headfirst into the sign, but from there he used the perfect image of the map in his head to turn about in the right direction.

'Belle-I'm getting so near and close to her! To think I'll really... Be with her outside of Avonlea like this... Even after what happened... I shouldn't, I know, but she needs me-she needs someone!' Such conflicting whirled through his mind while the mechanical man hurried down both new and old craggy sidewalks alike. Now was not the time to think about such things, and luckily he didn’t have to worry about pushing those thoughts aside when he came across another intersection that was noticeably different than the rest.

Sure enough he could make out taller buildings against the edge of the dark horizon as they didn't look like the many typical residences he'd wandered by minutes ago. Another two blocks had Rumplestiltskin slowing his hurried pace at the sudden change of street layouts while the wind whipped at his few free straggles of hair from under his hood.

"This... This has to be 'main street' right?" Rumplestiltskin asked himself out loud without realizing, for the street he found himself matched the details he'd heard from Avonlea guests and Belle's stories of her excursions in Storybrooke. From a dark corner of what appeared to be a hardware store he took in the many shops lined up on both sides of the two way road that seemed to go on and on in the distance with plenty sidewalk for visitors to use-what little visitors Storybrooke got anyways. Yet, in the day time he could imagine the vicinity alive with pedestrians, families, opened store fronts calling customers in, and a street busy with cars stopping and going according to the hanging traffic lights.

Truly it was the image of a quaint American town where one would never expect anything out of the ordinary to occur...

How funny it was no one would have a clue that a wretched mechanical monster was currently wandering its streets.

Yet, even with how devoid it was Rumplestiltskin decided it was best for him to stick to the creeping darkness and avoid the many street lights lining the way. So after gathering up the courage-what meager scraps of it he had, the imp walked as fast and quietly as he could, doing his best to ignore the buildings he passed by. Of course he couldn't help himself but to sneak peaking glances while tugging at his duffel bag. Despite being adamant looking for this 'clock-tower' he was innately far too curious to avoid reading the distracting signs and displays. Upon each one his cords sparked with the excitement of it all-of this world that for so long had been kept from his reach-a reality inches away separated by a pane of glass.

One thing he found strange was how he could recognize quite a few of these places with a mere glance, no doubt thanks to various pictures and newspaper articles of Storybrooke he'd seen plenty enough of in the safety of Avonlea. However, there were some shops Rumplestiltskin only recognized from Belle’s descriptions from what little he could see as he slunk about hunched over to better hide himself. The bakery she'd mentioned looked just as appealing as she’d described it in the past from the cute signage alone, and to his interest there was an ice cream parlor as well, a few boutiques, and so many other shops he didn’t know existed let alone were in town. Some he couldn’t help but wonder at how on earth they stayed open while others places he dreaded imagining what humans had to go through…  Like this horrifying  _'Dentist’_ he'd heard many an employee complain about. 

It wasn't long after entering down town though that he found the flyer hadn't lead him astray as he neared one fairly modern building with a darkened neon sign displaying 'Granny's Diner' hanging over the door. There his faux face lit up in an unbearably wide smile as he walked up to the railing surrounding it to look take a quick sneak peek. No matter what he'd said before he couldn't deny the coziness and warmth the stone building alluded in spite of how barren and dark it was. Pausing his pace his processors whirled while in his head he could... See Belle, yes, he could picture her sitting outside at one of the tables on the terrance on a warm sunny day as she eagerly tucked into a delicious hamburger like she had so often talked about. Without a doubt the employees would be kind to her, bringing her more tea as she'd chat with others dining in that warm considerate way of hers, likely with a book in tow...

Again he was mesmerized by such human things that he stopped completely out in that lonesome cold, standing there more like a haunting specter than any potential patron.

What would it be like though... To sit inside with her at a booth or a table like normal couples-like even friends did? Or to eat this place's food and enjoy such tastes he couldn't begin to comprehend as he interacted alongside her with people that wouldn't look at him as if some unnatural thing? How wonderful it had to be to just walk, shop, and enjoy such simple frivolities with Belle happy and beaming all that while in the hold of warm daylight. What... What would all of that be like...  If he had only been...

Swiftly Rumplestiltskin realized he was wasting precious time thinking of being with her in a way he never could when he was missing being with her in what way was possible, and with that he grumbled at himself once more, going as far as to shake his head. There was no use in such pointless dreaming-a fact he'd faced well enough time and time again. He wasn't supposed to be out here in the first place, not to mention he had no right to keep picturing such things meant for people, not nightmarish animatronics... The fact Belle wasn't turning him away or demanding him to never come near her again was more than what he deserved-than what he could hope for. 

Yet, as he faced forward with a determination not to falter again there was no denying that such things-views, sights, and places… In a way they almost felt... Weirdly...

_Familiar..._

Not that he could figure out where to start in describing that sensation creeping through his circuits he alone couldn't understand. 

Wondering about such things had him shaking his head further to escape the odd enchantment the diner-that this whole town had somehow casted over him. After doing so he felt exposed once more to the openness around him, recalling that he was still fair game for anyone to see. With that he tugged at the coat’s hood again to ensure his golden green features were covered before hurrying down the side walk in hopes to find the library any moment now. 

Fortune for once seemed to favor him as it didn't take much longer to find what he was looking for when he dared to glance up into the sickly looking sky. There against the scenic backdrop of a few scattered lights he caught sight of a towering shape sticking straight into the air-the tallest building he'd seen around yet. Rushing to the corner of an intersection ahead he came to a somewhat slippery stop and blinked his amber eyes before both metal eyelids flung completely back into their sockets. He knew there only be one thing such a tall narrow structure was, and as a bit of moon light slipped out from behind thick threatening clouds he saw for himself a large circular indent in the tower like shape with a set of unmoving metal hands.

With that his fragile hope was aflame, causing his facial mechanics to twitch uncontrollably.

There it was-that had to be none other than the clock-tower! 

At this point his whole body was rattling audibly from an overwhelming amount of excitement and nervousness all mashed together that only the one he held so dear could elicit.

Belle! He’d not failed her after all-because she was right there… He'd...

_ He'd found her. _

Unable to stop himself Rumplestiltskin forgot all else as he ran full speed across the ice speckled pavement, slipping about in his old boots for a second though he managed to keep up right. It would have been safer to attempt reaching his beauty in the nearby shadows, but with the electricity popping and running through his wriggling parts his attention focused on nothing but the shape of the approaching front doors. A short impish giggle escaped him when he looked up at the sign on the large building that displayed in grand letters 'STORYBROOKE LIBRARY', but it was at the edge of the road before it where he paused, coming to a messy halt of flying metal limbs.

"Belle..." Her sweet name drifted up on a soft exhale of air from the hydraulics in his throat, disappearing with everything else into that gloomy night.

To think he'd really made it-he'd really reached her, and now he just had to find where it lead up to her apartment-or maybe she had a window open where he could call out to her... The mechanical man frowned at the idea of her doing that. She was already so sick she didn’t need to be getting herself more ill in the process while waiting for him, but knowing her...

Without another thought on a troublesome possibility he kept moving, circling around to the back of the library where he found an alleyway that separated it from the next closest building. Right away he noticed there wasn't too much back there to examine as it was relatively empty. On his end there a bit of space for visitors to park-one spot taken up by none other than Belle's car, but it was down near the other end that his alien eyes caught sight of a metal staircase leading upwards to what had to be the upper apartment-more importantly... Belle's apartment.

At the sight of it his parts jolted, stopping altogether for a split second as it dawned on him what he would have to face now-who he would have to face. Belle... What would he say-what could he say after what he'd done to her and she'd done for him? Where did... How could he even begin after that night of her lips upon his-his love for her on this tongue, and then her blood upon his claws and awful teeth... That fear from before swarmed his system in nasty flares and snippets of code, but regardless of them he had to go inside-he'd promise to take care of her after all and Rumplestiltskin didn't break his promises...

No, never again.

Yet, when he went to take another step forward something else caught his attention as he heard the soft sound of skittering gravel.

Flinching the animatronic swiveled his head about its pivot towards the other end of the alleyway where in the light of the nearest street lamp he saw the shape of something moving. Confused to say the least he squinted before his eyes flung wide open again at this unexpected sight. 

'Is that a person?  Wait-it really is a person!' The exclamation rung through his head while he snapped his jaw closed in fear of it spilling out by accident.

Right away Rumplestiltskin could tell whoever it was wasn't his dearest knight from their silhouette alone, and fearing he'd finally be caught he quickly hugged his bag to his body and crouched behind the nearest object he could find. The large dumpster no doubt smelled terrible to those with that sense, yet it concealed him well enough from sight, hopefully. All too quickly he realized though it would do no good as his eyes were still glowing brightly. Shutting them off with a slight 'click' his sight was immediately reduced in the process, not that he needed it to see this figure who had his back turned to the animatronic. Whoever it was must not have heard him approach from his light movement, but a far more important question was rising up from the racing sparks in Rumplestiltskin's turning machinery.

Why was this man out here like this, and right outside Belle's apartment at such a godforsaken time? The possibility it could be her father flared up in his mind, but she hadn't mentioned him coming over, not to mention this figure wasn't moving towards the stairs.

Odd... As a few minutes passed they just kept standing there like they were waiting for something to happen or... Perhaps for someone?

Crouched there at a loss the imp puzzled with his segmented brows furrowing down on their tracks in a growing scowl. Something about this wasn't right in the least bit except he had no clear idea as to why.

Rumplestiltskin didn't know that why until that man turned about suddenly as if worrying about being seen himself and in the process showed enough of his face in the dim street light not far off. The sight had Rumple frozen as he peered around the dumpster, for it had been months now since he'd seen those exact same features.

He knew... That person-he did, but how could it... No- _no_ -it couldn't be-why-why had he-of all people- 

But no manner of excuses changed this truth before him, because he knew...

**_He knew._ **  

How could he ever forget that night he had first showed his beloved just how monstrous he was deep inside? 

As if he was still in that moment long past he heard her desperate scream calling out for him across Avonlea as a man had broken in-into  _his_ domain no less. There was no way he could hope to remove that horrible image of finding Belle laying sputtering and in pain on the tiles while that figure who'd harmed her ran away-crying out like he was the one who had the right to be terrified. This same man-had tased her-bruised her-beaten her-could have _killed_ _her-_

No, he couldn't forget such a loathsome face, not even if he didn't have a photographic memory. 

As all Rumplestiltskin's doubts subsided as to who this figure was as the man with the red beanie gazed about nervously, unknowing of the mechanical monster having to strain every inch of his body not to rush at him and tear him apart where he stood. To think after all this time Belle's attacker would come back, and after he'd nearly killed him too-he'd only been spared because of his merciful Belle's begging for him not to become a murderer. This was no coincidence he was here either of all places either... This man was here for a reason, and if he was-if he'd come for Belle-

Ready to launch himself out of the shadows from the rage boiling within his shell the snarling machine would show his foe no ounce of mercy this time. Yet, a faint sound caught them both off guard, forcing Rumple's bared dagger like teeth to tense tightly together. The man who attacked Belle that night long ago turned quickly, seeming to be less surprised in comparison as he looked to the other opening of the alley where the noise was coming from. Moments later the sound of new footsteps had the scaly imp stiffen in place as they gave way to another figure altogether who stopped a several yards from Belle's attacker.

_ "W-Who on earth..." _ Rumplestiltskin whispered inaudibly at this unexpected sight while fear began to claw its way deeper into his components. 

The newcomer was dressed too darkly for him to make out much of them at first until they wandered a bit closer. From this angle he could see the man looked to be in about his late thirties with a pair of sharp blue eyes alongside a goatee and facial hair, his black hair cut somewhat short from what he could see beneath that hood. Dressed differently to the stockier shorter man he wore a black leather coat, jeans, and boots. However, nothing... Nothing at all about this man recollected with the machine or was recognizable. Searching his data banks Rumplestiltskin dug and dug through stored information only to accept he'd never seen him in Avonlea before nor did he match the description of anyone Belle had told him about. 

Then to his surprise the man in the red hat approached this taller figure-if a bit nervously, making it clear that they on the other hand were no strangers to each other.

_"-where she lives just as I promised you-I even doubled checked my sources, so can I go now?”_  Belle's attacker said in a rushed quiet manner while shuffling in place, likely from the stinging cold. If Rumplestiltskin had been human there was no way he would've been able to hear their conversation in detail, but the machine's auditory sensors adjusted to catch these alarming words.

Forced to grit his metal maw together even tighter his wariness at this entire situation became more than justified.

Belle... Had they come here for her specifically, but why? Why was she so important to both of these men? Her attacker had been only after what had been in Avonlea, hadn't he?

_“Why are you in such a rush Mr. Smee? Do you have somewhere else you need to be right now?”_  The newcomer didn't hesitate to reply, but much like his face his voice was also unplaceable. In contrast to this 'Mr. Smee' Rumplestiltskin noticed this man's voice held a slight brogue, but it was laced with such an acidic tone that it ate away any normal pleasantries it might've had otherwise. _“I hope not, because if I recall right the reason I’m here in this bloody shit-hole of a town is because you couldn’t do just one-simple-small-job.”_

Job... Avonlea had been a job... What the hell did that mean? Despite his confusion the animatronic found the pieces falling into place, causing him to curl his hands into his duffel bag as it all made more sense. Months ago the break in to Avonlea had been done with more intent than a man merely wishing to simply raid what he could carry out of there on his own. That meant the attack had been premeditated for a while before hand, and this man-this new unknown figure had part in it... Which meant he had part in the harm that Belle had endured.

_“Look, I know I messed up really bad, b-but come on, let’s just drop it here.”_ Mr. Smee begged in a softer voice than his cohort, nervously lifting a hand up as if to stress his point. _“That family fun center isn’t worth our time-there’s a bit of tech there that could be sold to earn a measly grand or so, but it’s more of a hassle than anything-we've got better gigs-"_

_“I can't sit by when your time and more importantly my time is wasted so we'll drop it when I say we can drop it... Unless you decided to suddenly become the boss of this affair.”_ With a curt snap Smee was completely silenced by his apparent 'boss' whose tone was far icier than the wind biting at what exposed pink pieces of flesh they had. Oh, such little suffering was far more generous than what Rumplestiltskin wanted to do as he lingered in the darkness, stewing on this brimming hate that was starting to cause his systems to warn him of the precarious edge he was nearing. Even without those warnings Rumplestiltskin already knew he was in a world of trouble either way.

If a fault didn't consume him now it would if these men and their intentions drew any closer towards Belle's staircase...

Quickly Rumplestiltskin's mind snapped back to the scene before him as the dark haired man took a sudden step, but near his underling, going as far as to grasping at one of his coat lapels in a viper like movement with one hand. Fear-it was easy to make out that emotion he knew so well slathering itself across Mr. Smee's face as the man gapped. A terrible part of Rumplestiltskin leaped up through his circuits in delight at the sight of it, making him feel more than uncomfortable not only with them but himself.

_“You’re going to finally start talking tonight, and you better start soon. I've been in a rather piss poor mood since I hunted you down, and this fucking freezing cold isn't helping.”_ There the newcomer leaned in even closer to Mr. Smee who seemed to be trying to recoil back as far as he could without looking away.  _"Tell me now what someone like me is to do when one of their best men just ups and vanishes after a task that was supposed to be so easy... I’ve seen this Miss. French for myself-she’s even tinier than you, and though she’s a security guard there is no way alone she could've got the upper hand to do this...”_

As if to make his point the man let go of the shorter one's coat and grabbed at one of his arms which had Smee releasing a strangled gasp of pain immediately. Hearing it had Rumplestiltskin recollect what he'd done that night-there was no way that man's arm-that same one, was completely healed yet-the arm that he'd so easily... _CRACKED!_ With a great rush the sensations of that night flooded the broken animatronic once again with the memory of how easy that bone gave way beneath his unfeeling grasp, breaking in two like a twig. Between the memories and glitches came the loathing and blood thirst-the urge to maim and bring ruin as he'd seen his beauty hurting-begging for help.

For a moment the feelings were so intense that Rumplestiltskin had to place his hands upside his head as he begged to be released from the steadily rising noise echoing in his skull.

Calling out, screaming, crying, for more-more-more-

**(DARK-01-A: ATTEMPTING TO FORM A CONNECTION. ERROR. SECURITY PROCEDURES ENGAGED. ZOZO|PROTOCOL ACTIVATING.)**

Despite the frantic coding Rumple managed to hold on, fending off the terrible sensations as the men continued their hushed discussion unaware of the metal being listening not far off.

“ _Now that you understand you better start telling me the truth. Mr. Smee, because you know how I feel about people I trust... Lying to me.”_ There was intent in that threat from the taller man that neither Smee nor Rumplestiltskin needed more detail on to know that it would not end well. It did the trick though as the underling waved his free hand about, silently begging for his arm to be released. Finally it seemed to be enough for the man let go of Smee to which the shorter of the pair cradled that arm to his chest, wheezing in pain.

_“O-Okay-okay-I didn’t tell you... The complete truth-b-but before you make any… Uh, hasty decisions hear me out..."_ Once he'd regained himself Smee looked up, terror evident in his eyes while white wisps drifted up from his mouth from how he hastily spoke. _“The truth is the sources you gave me wrong that night-she wasn’t working alone-when I went I thought it was just her at first like you said-there was only one car outside-her car, but-"_

_“My information was incorrect? That old fool running that shit show might be paranoid, but he isn’t wealthy nor cares enough about his customers to hire two security guards. Trust me on that.”_ The taller man spat back, and from where Rumplestiltskin was hidden he could feel a rage different than his own in those words alone. Whoever this was... It seemed they had this Smee forced to work under him, and it was becoming clearer that it was him who had decided to target Avonlea. Why though? Why an innocent place meant to entertain kids-why go so far like they had when they could have broken in a night Belle had not been there?

_“It wasn’t another security guard who was there with her-look... I had scoped the place out before at a party, and I saw with my own two eyes that only Miss. French worked there as a guard... That was the case-at least I-I thought, but that night she wasn’t alone! Someone... Someone was with her...”_ Belle's attackersaid, seeming to try to rationalize with his employer while Rumplestiltskin peered further over the edge of the dumpster in shock. For a short while the other man just quieted at this revelation, pacing a bit in place-aggravation in every step, before on a moment's notice whipping back around to face his underling.

_“So say she possibly had a boyfriend over to occupy her time, being a night guard has to be rather boring I get that... Much more pleasurable things one can be doing with such time."_ The salacious tone oozing off the man's voice made Rumplestiltskin disgusted while his gears ground themselves together uncomfortably. _"In that case this man was the one who did this to you, so we just have to... Wait... No, there is something more you’re not telling me..."_

Mr. Smee tensed at that accusation-more of that fear creasing his face that only seemed to fuel his boss with how the man snickered lowly.

_"Well, I suppose it doesn't matter if you don't want to tell me... I'll just make **her** talk instead.”_

Everything inside the mechanical man halted altogether at those words, not a gear or part moving an inch from the terror they brought.

No... He didn't mean-he wouldn't-why-why threaten to do that to someone so innocent! Belle wasn't the one who harmed her attacker-that man deserved it without a doubt but it wasn't her! So why go after her-no-he couldn't let that happen-surely they wouldn't really go near-

Despite how the machine begged the forces above for this not to be happening the dark haired man smirked before taking a step towards the staircase leading to the library apartment.

In the span of a second every piece of Rumplestiltskin went from still to churning and roaring to life within his mottled shell. H atred and fury like he felt that night months back came bursting forth, threatening to tear him apart from his welded seams. Inside his metal skull various systems were faltering to this malice-consumed by his own desire to harm and blood thirst as through layers of programing and data...

Something replied in kind.

**(01-A: DARK-01-A HAS FORMED A CONNECTION. ERROR. CRITICAL ERROR.//FORTY-FOUR. FORTY-FOUR. SPILL THEIR BLOOD ACROSS THE FLOOR.// **ZOSO|PROTOCOL BREACHED.** )**

_'YES-I WON'T LET THEM-I WON'T LET THEM TOUCH BELLE! I'LL KILL THEM BEFORE THEY CAN LAY A FINGER ON HER... I'LL END THEIR MISERABLE FUCKING LIVES-NEVER AGAIN-NEVER-NEVER-EV-EV-FOR-FOR-FOR-FORTY-FOUR-'_  Rumplestiltskin's thoughts-now an internal storm of twisting chaos, had his body aching with all its might to lunge forward while these men were so unaware-so vulnerable. Mangled gasps and shrieks called to him to rip out their throats with his deadly teeth-to gorge on the carnage of fluids and flesh. These urges to do so were overwhelming to the point he trembled as he remained kneeled there, sobbing silently as what rational thought he had left began to disappear.

How easy would their bones shatter under his fists... How simple would it be to end any chance they had to harm his-his-his Belle... He could with so little strength bash their _fucking_ _skulls_ into the cement in a brilliant crimson deluge... Death-death-they deserved that and more-if they even thought of touching a hair on her head-

Rumplestiltskin hadn't noticed his body beginning to move then as if of its own accord-too lost internally while his dark claws let go of his bag to dig into the dirty asphalt. The world around him jumped in glitches while his hinged jaw opened up wide, bearing his maw like a gruesome bear trap. Just as he was nearly about to emerge from the shadows like the monster he was-to ensure that any possibility of harm befalling his beloved would be stopped- 

Smee began to wave both his hands frantically-the sudden motion snapping Rumplestiltskin enough from his inner struggle to make out what he was doing as well as what the shorter man cried out. _“Wait-wait-please, let me explain! T-That person… Whoever was there with Miss French-yes, he was the one that did this me. They broke a few of my ribs with one kick-snapped m-my arm like a pencil, and... He or whoever it was nearly fucking killed me! But it’s not just… That…”_

Stopping his stride towards the nearby staircase the taller man looked back at his underling, willing him on without saying a word with those cold uncaring eyes.

“It wasn’t a man Mr. Jones!” Mr. Smee exclaimed in a shrill tone, speaking far louder than any of them had dared to yet before seeming to catch himself with how he clamped a hand over his mouth.  _“I thought you’d beat the living shit out of me if I just told you the truth, because even I can’t believe it, but… That thing with her-that attacked me in return-it wasn’t a normal person at all-it couldn’t have been. It moved so f-fucking fast I didn't even make it ten feet before it was on me, and its scream-its eyes-it wasn't normal in any sense of the word! I'm not making this shit up-it was shaped like a man, but it wasn't-it wasn't..."_

A sharp intake of air-a moment of silence, so stifling and suffocating that for a moment Rumplestiltskin felt the whole world had gone mute alongside of him.

_“Human...”_

That whisper broke the air like a pickaxe through ice, cracking and shattering the stillness overhead entirely as well as the fault's hold over him.

For a moment the dark haired man seemed to stare at Mr. Smee like he was stunned in disbelief while inside the mechanical man his gears staggered against one another, making his faltering systems skip several times over. Between this new fear and this chorus of screams inside of him Rumplestiltskin didn't know what to do-

However, to the surprise of all three another alarming sound began echoing through the space of the alleyway-more like a sharp whistle whizzing suddenly overhead. At first Rumplestiltskin had no idea where the sound was coming from against the noise in his head, and frantically glancing about his darkened eyes eventually landed upon the balcony to Belle's apartment. There-the loud sound he now recognized-it was definitely coming from inside! 

_“Wait-do you hear that?”_  The dark haired man quickly hissed as he and his lackey turned their heads towards the balcony, catching onto the source as well. Without warning the taller of the pair pushed Smee and himself roughly against the wall of the library as if in hopes to conceal themselves in the buildings shadows. 

_"Oh shit-she's awake-or knows we're here-what if that thing is with her! We have to g-"_

Far too calmly the taller of the two hushed his cohort and began to signal him to move towards the street, snapping at him so quietly that Rumplestiltskin could barely hear what he was saying. _"Fuck-she might have seen us and called the police. Listen here and listen well-get out of town and don't come back. I have no need of you regarding this incident any further-I'll be taking care of this from here on out, and you best not interfere anymore. Understand?"_

Like a fish out of water all the shorter man could do was nod dumbly before his employer shoved him again, leaving him staggering a bit against the slick pavement. It didn't seem to take Mr. Smee any more encouragement with how he took off towards the street, disappearing from sight rather quickly for a man his size. Rumplestiltskin expected the leader to follow suit as the whistling overhead was only growing louder, yet for a moment longer...

He just stood there, staring up at Belle's balcony-one hand hanging limply at his side...  


With an indescribable expression carved into his rugged features, nothing the likes Rumplestiltskin had ever seen.

Then in the blink of an eye the man was turning heel, tugging at his hood and dashing towards the street where Belle's attacker had disappeared down as well. In the matter of a few seconds the once occupied alleyway now lay empty save for the quaking machine barely keeping himself from rattling loudly due to the tremors starting to overtaking his form again.

They were gone now-gone-Belle-she was safe, but... But... 

Trying to stand up Rumplestiltskin felt the servos in his knees give out, causing him to fall to the dirty ground where his metal parts clattered loudly, bouncing up through the air to that balcony. Cursing and crying without being able to shed any tears he tried to gain control of himself only it was no use. As he panicked he felt the fault rippling further beneath his plates with how his wires squirmed-oh how it wanted to drag him under and rob him of all rationality-of self-of all that he was so that this 'urge' could inflict itself upon all who stood in its way.

"They're gone-they're gone-I don't need to-to hurt anyone-I-I-NO! STOP! I don't want to-I want to-no-no I don't-I don't! That's not me! Those thoughts aren't me!" His voice box crackled out loud now-the machine seeming no longer concerned about being heard as his fear of what was to happen within him was far greater.

**(01-A: CRITICAL ERROR TO CORE. ZOZO!PROTOCOL ENGAGING.//FORTY-FOUR. FORTY-FOUR. MAKE THEM SCREAM AND PAY SOME MORE.//)**   

_"R-Rumple!"_

He was caught off guard as a voice called out to him, shocking him out of the clutch of madness that was just rushing up to override his systems.

As fast as he could he got up on his ragged knees, his head swiveling back towards the apartment balcony where he found the source of the cry. The thing he hadn't noticed before was that the sliding glass door there was somewhat opened, and now within its inky shadows he could see a pale face looking down at him with fear and shock written across those unforgettable features. Before he could try to cry out towards none other than his beloved knight-he wasn't even sure if he could speak, she staggered from that door frame back into her apartment, leaving only the pitch black of that entryway looming at him.

Then just as it had rang out the whistling moments later began to die-what Rumplestiltskin could recognize as the cry of a tea kettle.

Belle... She'd been awake waiting for him of course, but he didn't expect her to be up-she-she must have seen everything that had happened-could see what was happening to him right now! How terrified she had to be then, and here he was hardly able to move-surely she wouldn't try coming outside! Of course knowing the brash beauty she was likely going to despite the sickness flowing through her veins which put him in a further panic.

Desperately Rumplestiltskin got back onto rattling legs, managing to move towards her staircase just as another spasm of the ZOZO!PROTOCOL wracked through his body. Though he didn't fall he was forced to stop in place and sputter in agony from the wild surges of electricity tearing through his servos and core.

**(01-A: DARK01-A CONNECTION DENIED. **IDENTIFIED CORE MALFUNCTION. DAG:ER RESETTING EMERGENCY RESTRICTIONS. SERVOS LOCKING.** )**  

However, against this suffering he forced his head up against the will of the protocol in time to see at the top of the stairway Belle's front door burst open with a small figure barreling outside.  Standing there at the metal railing that her hands grasped tightly at the machine could make out how his dearest was shaking from head to toe, seeming worn from just that alone. In the faint glow of the street light he could also better see how sickly she was at this distance-how pale her complexion was in contrast to the rosier healthier hue she harbored in their time together. It didn't help that Belle wasn't dressed at all for the weather that quickly assaulted her, his concern for her at that digging in deep against the frightening fault wishing to overpower him.

As if she didn't care a lick about the cruel wind his sickly beauty darted down those metal steps in only socks and her short sleeved pajamas.

"Rumple!" She cried out to him again as she almost slipped on the last step, yet she grasped at the railing at the last second, keeping up right. He could tell she was about to fling herself at him with a desperation he knew all too well burning in her eyes, but feeling how his mind and sanity could be snatched at him at any moment he recoiled immediately. Skittering back what little he could upon useless legs both his hands grasped at the coat draped on him, not caring at all that his claws tore through the material while his body squirmed in the pervasive want to-to do such awful things.

"B-Belle-Belle-it’s j-just me-me-they’re gone-those men are gone, long gone-b-b-but-I’m-not good-not good-mal-mal-malfunctioning… Stay inside-inside-its calling-me-me-me-dragging me under-to that dark-that dark-that... That..." He blathered hopelessly in hopes to make her understand even if he couldn't understand it-that place deep down inside of him waiting for him to fall.

From the look of realization in her blue eyes he knew he must've become a frightening sight once more as he could tell without even looking that his now pinpoint eyes were swirling in their sockets. How he hated this thing he was almost as much as he hated those men! He'd come here to protect her and now-now he was going to cause her such distress after what was happening because of this broken ugly twisted thing that he was. 

Regardless of his warnings or state she moved closer all while looking like she'd stumble too if she kept going like she was.

_“Don’t-don’t come near me, please… Not safe… Not safe yet…”_  Rumplestiltskin begged of her this time in a low whisper, but even then Belle persisted, and he couldn’t do anything to stop her as his vocal box choked out crackling electronic noises. What if she got near him and he lashed out without meaning too-or another car alarm frightened him and his claws struck her-or-or- 

Shaking her head defiantly Belle's blue eyes bore into his dots of amber while the wind whipped her long hair wildly about her face. Without any hesitation she moved closer, merely feet away from reaching him with that hand she was extending forward. “N-No, you have to c-come inside, please... You c-can’t be out here-we might get seen, but it’s okay-we’re both going to be okay... Like you said they are gone-you d-don't... You don't n-need to be scared anymore...”

_ Scared... _

Him... Scared-he was-he couldn't deny that, but why...

Whywas she the one worried about him being scared! She was the one who should be more than afraid-the man who had attacked her came to the very place she lived and the only one to protect her besides herself was falling apart before her very eyes! Time and time again she refused to follow the reasoning anyone else would have-that everyone else had towards him! Every other human would have ran away from him at this point, but not her-never her-she really-never would-not even her own blood upon him could keep her away...

Even with knowing that it was hopeless to stop her he couldn't allow her to touch him or get too close as the memories of what his teeth and claws had done to her tender flesh came picture perfect back into his sights.

“No… I’ll hurt you again… I’ll hurt you… I shouldn’t have come-I can't be near you-not anymore-not safe-not-safe-for-for-ahhhhh!” 

Rumplestiltskin bit back an inhuman cry as he felt his servos pop sporadically, forcing him to fight against the locking mechanisms trying to plant him in place. It was there Belle paused in her stride forward, yet even then her hand didn't falter as she held it out, shaking like a leaf that would be blown away at a moments notice.

“If you hadn’t come I... I-I would have never known t-they were here... They w-would have come inside and hurt me... W-Wouldn’t they?” Such a calm response startled him enough he broke free of the raging battle in his head. Looking up at her he found such a knowing look on his beauties face in spite of the clear fear she surely held at that very notion. “You saved me again Rumple... B-because if you hadn’t-if I hadn't been a-awake waiting for you… I could barely hear what they were... S-Saying, but it was that man-that man that-"

To his shock it was her legs that faltered suddenly, cutting her off short with how they seemed to loose all tension and dropped her to the dirty ground. In an instant the fear of her nearing him was disregarded as the animatronic bolted towards the young woman arms outstretched.

The protocol could do anything to stop him-its hold snapping like a worn rope with his concern for her compelling him above all else.

_"BELLE!"_ With that anguished bellow Rumplestiltskin caught her before she'd struck her head on the cold pavement, and in one fell swoop cradled her body to his own regardless of his previous anxiety of doing just that. Oh, the fault storming his system had not entirely subsided, his processors were informing him of that very much with how various programs rattled away furiously, yet he had no time to hesitate. While not wanting to risk hurting her leaving her out in such conditions was the worse alternative. With that willing him on he managed to get back up with her nestled in his arms despite how his body spasmed in his ongoing struggle.

“Inside-I-I got to get you back inside. N-Bot safe out here..." Rumple stuttered just as Belle whimpered a bit, making him realize in her shivering that he wasn't likely much kinder than the wind to her bare skin. "I-I'm sorry-I must be freezing, but it will be over soon-I promise." 

At his whisper Belle just merely nodded with a pained expression before pressing her face into his chest to seek out a warmth she wouldn't find.

Every gear in his chest felt like they were grinding each other into broken bits from how hard they spun as he turned and swiftly walked up that flight of metal stairs with his dearest held tight in his arms. Each step gave a slight groan from the weight of his metal form-their creaks faint against the low gale while her quickened breath was a roar against his auditory sensors. It was before his eyes soon enough though... The front door of Belle’s apartment which was a sight he’d begun to think he’d never see given his innate cowardice.

He only wished he was here on better terms-for less painful reasons...

Grasping the knob he opened it back up and promptly hefted them inside, shutting the door right behind him which he didn't wait around to lock up tight. With at least this much security he wandered in, not wasting time to take off his dirty boots. Hopefully, the mess would be easy to clean and she'd forgive him for it later as he wandered inside with her snuffling against his neck.

Inside... Yes, he was indeed inside her apartment for the very first time as hard as that was to believe as well.

For a moment he was so overwhelmed by this fact that he couldn't make out any specific details about the space as he stared and gawked-stunned he'd ever made it this far-that he was really in a human house with someone who welcomed his presence. As the haze subsided he first took note of the several bookcases lining the length of what had to be her living room-just as mismatched as the rest of her furniture. There were plenty of books in those shelves-stuffed to the brim that some were set on the floor-far more than he had imagined her owning despite having joked about it so often. With each passing second with his slow steps drawing him further in he noticed more and more bits of Belle everywhere he looked-little things and big things alike.

Her coat she typically wore hung on a coat rack near the door along with her usually forgotten work visor, her table in the dinning room was... A mess, of course-even the owl she'd brought to work near Halloween sat atop her TV stand, staring back at him with its equally eerie large eyes. It was as his alien gaze settled on one corner of her room though that this reality before him had him stopping momentarily in place...

Like it was perfectly at home there his old spinning wheel sat, tucked neatly in its own space with a stool out in front of it as if it had been awaiting his arrival. A basket of what looked to be wool or material of some kind sat beside it-untouched but ready to be threaded to the bobbin and flyer by crafty hands. No dust sat atop the wheel either as it looked to have been lovingly cleaned... Belle... She'd taken such good care of it... Despite...

However, sensing the weight of her in his arms as she shivered he realized there would be time for him to look around later when there was less pressing matters at hand. For now he moved towards a two seater couch where he settled Belle amongst the pleasant looking cushions, and drew a blanket laying there about her too. With a labored breath she sunk curled into them as he set his bag down, but it was as he moved back to try and distance himself-twitching and flinching all that while, that her arms grasped about his shoulders. With a soft gasp the machine was forced to remain hunched there with Belle clearly refusing to let go. How she still had such strength to do so he didn't know.

_"Belle-dearest, y-you need to let go, let me warm up in here-let me get ahold of myself-please-please-"_ He continued to ask of her in a soft crackle only for her to tighten her arms about him in response, pulling him so close that he had to press his face into her shoulder. His immediate thought was how his teeth were far too close to her precious flesh-how he needed to pull away-how he needed to stop this before he'd do something by accident-harm her more!

Yet, her a set of her small fingers moved across his neck to curl up into his hair, holding the back of his head as if he was the one who needed to be comforted. The very notion of her endless kindness-the fact she was more concerned about him than what just happened... It had the corner of his eye sockets brimming again with those sparks and snippets of code telling him there was an unexplainable error. Greedy and vile as ever he allowed her to hold him as he kept his arms off to the side so he could at least keep them from chancing anything as he soaked up her touch and weight.

This... How he missed this-her-every bit and ounce of her... Truly he didn't deserve such a compassionate creature as his friend.

He'd come to take care of her-come to console her, and like always... Here they were..

For a while longer they sat there in this odd position, and as the seconds rolled by Rumplestiltskin noticed the insanity in his wires settling down between her and the protocol. Those horrible sounds he couldn't understand fell silent, dragged back into the darkest part of him, leaving him closing his eyes in relief to have his mind and body back to... As close to normal as such a thing for him could be. It was as Belle began to shake harder suddenly that they opened back up, both orbs whole and large in his skull with their glow washing her neck and arm in a yellow hue.

_“I-I was starting to think I’d never see this day… I just w-wish I wasn’t... So s-sick to enjoy it…”_ She spoke hoarsely, her voiced obviously strained doing just that, leaving him to whimper at her suffering like she was.  _“But I-I am h-happy… Even as reckless as you were in doing this… H-Having you here…”_

He wanted to say something-anything, but so much had happened in what now felt like such a short amount of time. Apologies and promises built up in his voice box-thousands of 'I'm sorry' and 'forgive me', but only fragile crackles of sound escaped him as she continued to hold him to her chest. The heart beating there was rushing loudly, her life essence a soothing melody that made him believe for a brief moment that things would be all right-

Abruptly Belle let him go though, and as he quickly scurried back enough so she could not grab him he watched as she physically jolted, gagging with her hand over her mouth. The familar sound he'd heard over the phone filled the emptiness of her apartment around them. While she struggled for a few moments he held his hands aloft, confused and scared from fear muddling his mind.

"D-Dearest!"

_"I-I need the trash can... Oh god... Quick-quick-I need-"_ Belle gagged some more while pointing her shaky hand in a desperate manner towards the kitchen.

The mechanical man complied with her request in the blink of an eye, grabbing the bin and setting it before her which she didn't hesitate to grab. With tears forming in her eyes his sickly beauty  tugged it as close to her person as possible before ducking her head down. He'd seen children throw up several before-it was nothing new when one lived in a pizzeria, but seeing her up close have to gasp and gag with such clear pain plastered on her face caused his chest to ache for her even more. Terrible retching soon echoed about the room-a mixture of sloppy sounds and fluid, but all he could do for Belle was help hold back her hair and rub at her back while her body expelled nothing more than bile and saliva. Eventually after a few minutes this compulsion upon her subsided, leaving her to gasp and breathe heavily while he muttered reassurances into her hair.

Those falling tears didn't stop though, streaking down her somewhat red face, and seeing in that state had him reaching for a box of tissues on an end table.

When her breathing calmed he reached forward with one tissue and helped wipe her mouth, not minding at all if he touched her spit or snot spattered on her face. That seemed to embarrass her a little which broke his heart-what he had in place of such a thing, as she sniffled and looked upset. Normally she had such tight control of her emotions-more so she forced herself to express what she deemed was right in the moment-warmth for others were she felt none-confidence even when she was afraid... Like him despite her need for honesty she hid away what really truly bothered her for others sake.

Except... Right now... His brave beauty just allowed everything to freely fall as her face scrunched up in an expression that had him against his former fears wrapping his arms about her.

_ "I'm s-sorry Rum... You didn't n-need to... See that... You shouldn't h-have..." _ To think she was the one apologizing for anything had his teeth gritting together again that night for what felt like the hundredth time. At his touch she lifted her own hands up, grasping at his dirty coat sleeves while forcing herself through spit and tears to continue. _"I'm so lucky... So lucky that you came... I might... I might have b-been..."_

_"No, I'm sorry... I'm sorry Belle... You're hurting like this, and you must be so terrified... I..."_   He whispered in a soothing manner, pausing only to try and better word himself as they both sat there trembling to some degree-of fear and sickness. _"I didn't think he would come back either-but they won’t be able to harm you-neither of them. Y-You know that-I won't let them-you're safe-I'll never let anyone harm you as long as I continue to function.”_

Perhaps he couldn't promise she wouldn't be hurt by him, but this was one promise he knew he could keep-knew he would keep.

At it she just nodded ever so slightly, seeming to be starting to slip from the world around them with how her eyes lidded heavily. Truly the cold was not helping her any longer in keeping awake, and knowing the couch was not the best place for her the animatronic pulled back to move her. Naturally-his beauty-only her, protested at him leaving, but as he scooped her back up in his arms-leaving their mess behind for right now, he began to walk around in hopes to find her bedroom. There was a short hallway near the corner leading off what looked to be a quaint kitchen, and by following it he found what he was looking for as an opened door gave way to a smaller room with a queen sized bed... And of course... More books stacked on a desk and dresser that was a fitting environment for her.

_“Here, let me get you to your bed, you'll be more comfortable there."_ He explained just as she nuzzled her nose into his scaly cheek, causing his cords to spark for moment as memories of that night... Of touches, truths, and kisses came back to the fore front of his mind.

No-no, as wonderful as that moment had been now was not the time for those things-those things he would surely never know again. Still, they plagued him as he moved back her covers and began to set down his fevered knight atop the mattress, drawing them back over her as he looked for more blankets to wrap her up in. All that while she was trying to reach for him as if by instinct to which he allowed her to settle her hand upon his arm while he was busy drawing a few more blankets a top her. It wasn't until she was tugging at his hand, trying to place it upon her cheek that he flinched, looking down at her with fear building to see his claws so close to her fair flesh.

She seemed to understand without him saying a word, brushing his curled metal knuckles against her cheek with a soft breathy exhale.

_ "You can touch me, Rumple... I’m not going to... B-Break so easily... I came out whole and alive... Now is no different... I'm not afraid of you... I... I trust you..." _

As her voice broke he watched her red tired eyes close this time, his trembling night guard seeming to be fighting more tears with the previous ones now just trails down her pale complexion. 

_"Rumple... Please don’t let go of me... I need you more than just because I’m sick…I was scared all that time I was gone-no matter how much I told myself-no matter how much… I tried to pretend..._ _I was worried I wouldn’t see you again… Please, just stay with me-promise me you won't leave... T-That you'll be here when I wake up...“_

To hear her pleading, asking for something so simple... How... How could he deny her that-after everything-even if it wasn't what he thought she needed-what was right...

Despite every fiber in him telling him he shouldn't it was as if she casted a spell over him that tugged his body forward to comply with her wishes. Carefully, minding his legs and feet he crawled up on the other side of her plush bed, feeling it give slightly under his cumbersome weight. Belle wasted no time in curling towards him with a sniffle, pushing back her covers so her arms could slip beneath his and hold him as he found himself laying there... A bed... He'd never laid on a bed before, certainly didn't think he ever would. It was such a human thing... Laying like that to sleep, not to mention he'd never been held by anyone either like Belle was-like how she did... Time and time again...

At her soft whimper he moved his arms and his torn coat sleeves, reaching over with those dark claws though his hands remained curled in fists. It seemed to be enough for her though with how she gave a labored sigh, trembling against him with her fore head pressed against his chin. He'd come here with the intent to help her-to care for her, but he hadn't thought she'd want this... That she'd want him of all things beside her in her... Bed-that she'd want him to comfort her like another human better could.

In the end of it all he wasn't going to be that human, and as she continued to shiver he knew the warmth she needed... He'd never be it.

Yet, if this is what she wanted for now-could fill that void...

_ “I promise Belle… I’ll stay with you-I promised you after all... That you wouldn't know loneliness anymore." _

With that new vow the corner of her pale mouth twitched upwards before she closed both her barely opened eyes. Even then he felt what strength she had left in her fingers curled into his silk shirt as if fearing he would leave-would disappear a moments notice. Though he didn't feel safe near her still he kept his word, pulling her closer to his body as they laid there entwined around each other.

In time her soft stuffy breathing grew deeper and farther apart as sleep eventually took hold of his dearest. The animatronic could only wish silently that she'd at least find a peaceful slumber free from nightmares or terrors after all that had happened tonight. From the illumination of his eyes he watched her face grow slack, and unable to help himself against all he feared he drew back one arm, lifting it up to tenderly brush away a few locks stuck to her cheek. Once again he was left to marvel at this beautiful creature who longed for his touch where others drew away from him-repulsed, afraid, disturbed. Surely if even now she held no fear... Maybe-maybe he didn't need to be so afraid...

Could he hold her-would it be fair to close his eyes... To fall into sleep mode in her arms almost like a normal man...

Her arms-her arm that he... 

With that thought his alien eyes peeled themselves from her still face to the curve of her neck and then towards her left arm that was pressed into his chest. There he could see them-the fresh marks upon her as thin jutting lines that were darker pink than the rest of her flesh. Without touching them he could tell the four of them stood at attention-warbled impressions that wouldn't go away, and that realization had his wires twist around each other in a horrible manner. For her now there would be no forgetting what he was capable of as every day these scars would be permanent reminders of just exactly his what touch could do.

'How much has she hurt because of me, and here I am trying to justify being with her...'

Selfish... Awful... Disgusting... Truly Rumplestiltskin felt his horrific body was a perfect fit for who he was.

Sitting up right slowly, ensuring Belle would not wake, it took everything in him not to sink back down and press himself against her-to pretend that indeed he was made for her and her for him. Despite his desires he sat there studying her fair face-how she slept so easily when a broken thing full of evil loomed above... For a moment he was outside himself and could practically see the mottled grotesque thing he was hunched over this incredible woman, looking like a monstrous figure ready to devour and tear into her flesh than any form of lover-or a friend caring for the one he held most dear. How horrible... Even she would be terrified after a long slumber to wake up confused and dazed to him beside her...

That thought alone caused his faux face to crease into a pained expression before he finally pulled away from her beauty and light.

For a while the imp sat on the edge of her bed, his plated shoulders slumped with the weight of everything weighing upon him. Despite accepting he couldn't be closer to her anymore there was no way he could stay also go back to staying at Avonlea after tonight. Now with those men having come forward and unknowingly showed their hand-what they had said and done... It wasn't just Belle who was in trouble either it seemed-his own hide was on the line now. Truly he'd not thought the man who attacked her would come back, but sure enough he had, spouting what he'd seen of him to another no less...

_ "It wasn't... Human..." _

Those words slipped past his own mouth without him realizing it as he stared at the window in front of him, its curtains closed to the world outside.

It wasn't like those words had been wrong, yet hearing after so long again being spoke of as a thing...

There Rumplestiltskin got up to his feet, his movements silent and precise as not to stir his security guard getting some proper rest. It was there he realized the shambled state this coat was about him, and in a moment without thought he merely finished the job. The soft sound of tearing drifted through out Belle's apartment as he ripped it off his body with his fearsome hands and between his dagger like teeth, shredding it to pieces. All too quickly the poorly crafted disguise soon laid in scraps at his feet...

Yes, he was a monster, and always would be a monster no matter what Belle saw in him... It didn't change the facts.

If he couldn't love her like a man-couldn't touch her or hold her like one either, then he'd do whatever it took to keep her safe instead. So whatever that man had planned he'd never get the chance to it-he wouldn't see the light of day if either of them laid a hand on her in whatever scheming they'd made. He'd break every one of their fingers-would rip them limb from limb till nothing remained than pulverized pieces... This malice rooted in his core could have all the blood and suffering it sought to lap up in its greed if it meant she was never harmed in the process. 

No matter what he wouldn't loose her-he _couldn't_ loose her... Any price in order to ensure that he'd pay over and over.

Even if it meant one day she'd finally see him for what he really was.

—————

Night eventually waned as warm morning sunlight settled over Storybrooke, coating the town in a golden hue that glinted off the remains of ice and snow clinging to gutters and cars. As it traveled across town those intrusive rays slipped past what blinds and curtains they could, including those of the local library and the apartment above it. From there a thin slat of that same light fell upon a bundle of unruly auburn hair beneath a pile of strewed blankets. While the young woman laying there wanted nothing but to sleep-evident from how she groaned in protest, the pestering brightness stirred her worn mind enough she shuddered before turning her face into her pillows out of instinct...

Alas, it was useless as her blue eyes began to slowly open with dawning understanding.

The first thing Belle realized upon waking was the ache of her ongoing sickness was still present from the low throbbing at the back of her skull. She also realized the painful lurching in her gut had subsided as she no longer felt the need to grab for the nearest trashcan in fear of any possible... Mishap. As these few unpleasant sensations crawled through her veins, drawing a shiver through her form, she did her best to recollect how on earth she was back in her bed in the first place. Last night she'd been waiting for Rumplestiltskin out in the living room, and then... He'd arrived, yes, and she'd brought him inside-more so he'd brought her inside, but then...

Like just hours ago Belle let out a gasp and sat up straight with her insides complaining to a small degree. She was far too occupied to be bothered by it as she looked to the other side of her queen sized bed, finding no one there despite how the sheets were rumpled. Clearly they had been taken up by someone not long ago, yet when she touched that spot her fingers found no warmth lingering there.

Of course there wouldn't be given Rumple's physical properties, but it worried her still... It was almost like no one had been there at all. 

No, she knew for certain she'd fallen asleep last night with Rumplestiltskin beside her warmth or not. As she sat there she recalled in murky snippets how she'd felt the firm metal form of her dearest friend hold her close as he whispered gentle reassurances until she'd fallen asleep. He'd taken good care of her before all that too and with such utter concern as she'd was wracked by her sickness... Even more so since... That man who had attacked her-he'd returned... She didn't know why after all this time, but he had which was more frightening than she'd like to admit even now.

As all these memories made sense to her somewhat hazy mind... I f they were true where was he then?

"Rum... Rumple..." The young woman called out, her weak voice clawing its way out of her throat from disuse.

A part of her continued to fear that what had occurred yesterday somehow was a fevered induced dream and in turn had her forcing herself to get up from her side of the bed which turned out to be a struggle in and of itself. Upon placing her feet upon the hardwood floor she flinched, finding it too cold even with socks on. Of course a couple of hours ago how she had been too much of a delirious mess of burning and freezing to notice-leaving her balcony door open didn't help, but now with the worst of her sickness over all she wanted was to be warm. With that she tugged a blanket about herself before moving to stand up on a pair of far sturdier legs than last night.

As Belle shuffled through her room she'd made her way towards her door, noticing it had been left ajar an inch or two. It wasn't until she settled a hand upon the knob that she stopped altogether. Looking back she realized that her room was different as the trashcan by her bedside had its bag replaced and the mess of her tossed aside clothes and tissues about her room had disappeared-overall the space looked way cleaner than she'd seen it last. This confirmed what happened hours ago was no hallucination which comforted her greatly, not that it changed how she needed to see him. More than ever the worn beauty wanted to behold her mechanical man with her own two eyes and know that he was truly here with her... That both of them were safe...

Lucky for her the apartment she lived in wasn't near as big as Avonlea so he couldn't be far off... Unless... There was no way he had taken her key and returned to Avonlea had he? Belle knew he'd absolutely fear going back to the family fun center with daylight exposing himself, but there was the possibility he'd risk that despite such a dreadful possibility. He'd been so afraid to be with her after that man and whomever that other figure was with him had put her love on the edge of a fault... Wo uld that fear of his be enough to force him to...

Urged on by such troubling thoughts the hinges of her bedroom door creaked lightly as she opened it only for another distinct sound to catch her attention. The faint gush of rushing water was coming from the direction of her bathroom down the short hallway before turning off a few moments later. Rounding the doorframe the beauty approached in hesitant steps on top of being sure to remain quiet. The bathroom door was also slightly ajar while inside the sound of a faucet turning on happened again, giving away someone was indeed in there. Despite her wishes the images from last night-of the frightening fact that her attacker and the other with him had been outside her apartment, drifted back up to the forefront of her mind, chilling her to the bone faster than any virus could.

Surely, it could not be one of _them_ , but her hairs stood upon on end as she reached one shaky hand towards the door's handle... Grabbing it gently before she-

Suddenly the door opened of its own accord, swinging outwards towards her and leaving the young woman to flounder a moment in surprise. However, a flood of relief washed over her at who her eyes laid upon while her guest visibly startled at finding her lurking there.

_ "B-Belle!" _ Letting out a somewhat inhuman cry that Belle had heard a fair amount of times before the bathroom's occupant didn't seem to have noticed her approach despite his usual keen sense of hearing. A familar head of wiry grayish-brown hair framing a rather scaly face looked down at her while her wide blue eyes met a pair of large amber orbs ebbing a soft glow as they too appeared to try understanding what was going on. Regardless for a few good moments neither figures said anything as they were stuck standing awkwardly in place thanks to this rather... Unusual situation.

Truly this had to be one of the most absurd possibilities for anyone to wake up to in their home...

Save for Avonlea's knight guard who felt a swell of joy above all else surge through her heart.

"Y-You're up-I thought I heard you, but are-are you feeling well enough to be up? Oh-do you need to use the toilet-I’m sorry-I-I will get out of the way-” Rumplestiltskin-the one and only, fumbled as he asked from within the small space of her snug bathroom like it was perfectly normal. All Belle could think of at first was how out of place he was to the old rose patterned shower curtain behind him and rest of her things and toiletries. Certainly her daydreams of him being here couldn't live up to this reality... So much so she ended up standing there and blinking a few more times, considering once more to pinch herself to ensure she really wasn't dreaming.

That was until she saw concern begin to mar his golden-green features with an expression she knew all too well.

"Um... I... No-it's fine-I just..." She attempted to explain only for her hoarse words to keep failing her much to her growing displeasure.

It really shouldn't have been too strange that Rumplestiltskin was here given she'd been with him last night-he'd forewarned her that he was coming after all, yet she didn't understand why he was hunched over her sink of all places with... A wet rag in one hand? Noticing this Belle also took in how his sleeves were rolled up his arm as far as they could go-a silly sight of bunched-up puffy material. As her eyes raked up over his lean form she found his old frayed vest hanging over part of the counter and the deep cut of one of the new silk shirts she'd gotten him for Christmas baring a delightful portion of his chest... A portion gleaming with water droplets much like his plated neck and silicone face were.

With a few more blinks it dawned on her that she'd merely interrupted him cleaning himself, but to her horror it slammed into her why he was.

'Last night as he took care of me he had to touch my bile, spit, and snot... Oh god, I threw up a couple times too, and he'd held my hair and everything...' More than ever Belle was glad that he couldn't get sick, however, she couldn't lie to herself over how mortified she was from this realization. Distressed to the point she had look away in embarrassment the blushing beauty grasped at one arm-her uninjured one, squeezing it tight. No doubt he'd been quite disgusted with her given he was unused to such appalling sights let alone dealing with a sick individual.

"Are you sure you are okay? You look a bit more flushed than before, perhaps it is best if you go back to bed-I can help you if you need me to." Rumplestiltskin offered her in a hushed tone, choosing to set the rag down and instead pick up a towel to dry himself off. "I-I just wanted to clean up myself and your place for you while you were asleep, but I wasn't there for you when you woke up like I promised... I must have caused you some fright, unintentionally I have to add."

Feeling her cheeks heat further at his nervousness and his kind gesture Belle did her best to calm down as she combed back a bit of her wild hair. "No, it's okay... I'm not feeling that bad anymore-honest, and you didn't scare me exactly. I figured you were here-I just didn't know where... I'm-I'm sorry that you had to see me like that last night, and like... Well, this..."

There he stared at her again with those alien like eyes, obviously puzzled from how he tilted his head owlishly at her. "Why are you apologizing? You can’t help being sick, and if you could I am certain you wouldn't choose to be, besides that is why I am over here after all... Like I promised-t-to take care of you.“

It seemed her animatronic cohort didn't understand what she meant, and feeling more bold from the way he stuttered she lifted her head back up to face him. Belle's studious perception didn't miss the nervous twitch beneath his cheek from his facial mechanics-it was obvious to her what was bothering him without him having to say a word. After all there was a lot they needed to talk about still hovering over them-things that were daunting even for her as her throat tightened at the thought of trying to bring them up. For now she just focused on this peculiar scenario the two were finding themselves in under the florescent light of her bathroom... Which was not the exact place she wanted to have such an important conversation anyways.

"W-What I mean is I know you're not use to doing just that, taking care of another, especially someone who is sick... And you don't have to tip toe about it. Even I know I must look pretty ghastly right now.”

There Belle glanced into the large mirror over her sink as she found herself not surprised at all by the sickly unpleasant face gazing back nor the pale figure standing in her pair of rather wrinkled pajamas. At least the complexion of her sweaty cheeks was looking healthier than last night with the blood currently rushing up to them from her pounding heart. Yet, by looking in the mirror Belle noticed Rumplestiltskin glance up into it as well, and there she caught him grimacing... Except it was at his own reflection-like it disgusted him to the point of pain. All too quickly their gazes met inadvertently across the reflective surface, and as if they were  a pair of bashful children they both looked away with her tucking lip subconsciously between her teeth and his hand twisting the towel in his grasp.

So much for all that bravery seconds ago... How was she supposed to talk to him about such important things when they couldn't even look at each other?

"Trust me, I’ve seen plenty enough kids who ate way too much sugary snacks or pizza to thus in turn, well... You get the picture." He spoke up, breaking the bit of tension that had settled in that small space. "So it's not completely new to me, but I am just glad you are doing better. Last night you were hurting so bad... I... I-I was worried-I don't know what that pain is like, but I don't want to see you like that again..."

It caused a pang through Belle's chest to see a different sort of pain flicker across the creased face of her mechanical man. However, he seemed to shake it off as he looked back down at her with a tender toothy smile that had her chest aching for a different reason altogether.

"However, you are as far from being anything remotely ghastly as physically possible-that's the job for vile sorcerers like me."

Jabbing a thumb at himself the imp even went as far as to wink for this 'joke'-be it one she didn't find very funny with how she frowned at him. Swiftly Rumplestiltskin's hand dropped as he gave a nervous titter that eased her scowl into a small amused smile at its familar and adorable sound. Feeling a bit less apprehensive with this playful air between them the beauty took a step closer only to immediately gained his attention from how his head jolted up like he'd been caught off guard again. That worried her a little bit-he was clearly on edge, likely from those men and what... Happened last between them, but hoping they could both ease down these worries she kept smiling up at him.

"I know I told you last night-at least I remember doing so, but I'm really glad you came here to take care of me... And better yet that you got here safely... I still can't believe you did that-that you're here, but it isn't like you to do something so... So recklessly! I should scold you for not thinking it all through, and especially after I warned you to stay put until I was better, but... I don't think I have any right to do that, do I?" There Belle tilted her head at him, knowing well enough she couldn't do such a thing given her reckless streak in the past. If she'd been in his shoes she would have done the same thing after all...

At that Rumplestiltskin let out one of his trademarked giggles, his nervousness evident as his segmented hands fluttered and clattered about. "Why, to hear my stubborn knight admit that, I never thought I'd function to see the day!"

There she had to emit a soft laugh alongside his that sounded more like a wheeze, but for a moment the caution taught across his countenance slipped away. Unfortunately without warning her laugh splintered into a wild coughing fit as it seemed her lungs were protesting so much talking and snot running down her throat. Turning and hacking away into her shirt she felt the immediate worry surrounding Rumplestiltskin heighten as he moved towards her this time, reaching out his hands as if to help her-to hold her... Except he didn't. They hovered inches from her shoulders while she wracked with the coughs until she regained her composure enough to properly breathe. After taking in a few gasps of air Belle couldn't deny how drained she physically was by that alone, and unable to help herself she turned, reaching out without thought to the one being she wanted comfort from-

Yet, as she went to grasp his shirt her fingers only ended up clenching at empty air.

Rumplestiltskin upon his swift boot clad feet back stepped from her far enough his heels bumped into her large clawfoot bathtub, spooking him and her in the process. Alarmed by this sudden reaction Belle looked at her companion in wordless shock before managing another step forward towards him. That in turn just caused him to hold up one hand to ward her off-much like how he did last night as he fought back the fault trying to overtake him.

Again... He was being so determined to keep her away...

"Bell e-wait! Don't-don't touch me! It's best not to-I'm not completely c-clean yet-and I am too cold-you-you need to stay warm!” Rumple exclaimed rather loudly before seeming to catch himself as he clamped his jaw closed with a sharp snap of its hinge. She didn't understand at first what he meant by that, and it seemed she wouldn't get to with how his eyes literally lit up with a desperate glimmer about them.  "Oh-I-I forgot to mention I was going to draw you a bath before you woke up, but alas, I realized I wasn't going to be able to tell if it was hot or cold. Perhaps later when you are feeling more up to it you can help me do that, for now hopping back into bed is best! I know-I know you don't want to, however, if you don't catch up on your rest our dear Avonlea will continue to be without a night guard! We can't have that can we?"

There was no time to protest let alone get a word in edge wise as that hand she longed to hold settled on the middle of her back, turning her about and encouraging her past the bathroom's threshold. Knowing well where they were going Belle's body moved on autopilot while Rumplestiltskin gently directed her down the hall and back to her room. When they both entered she admired once more the pleasantly clean state of it-she did need to thank him properly later. Still, after he lead her to her bed she sat down and tried to speak up only for the mechanical man to skitter away, putting a few feet of distance between them that she couldn't ignore.

To think he'd use such excuses that she couldn't touch or be near him should have made her huff in indignation, but after everything that had happened lately it simply broke Belle’s heart.

Despite their closeness a few hours ago it was apparent he was worrying about her being near him or simply touching her... Just like last night-just like after that incident on Christmas Eve or when he'd saved her from that man who'd just been outside months ago... Yes, even right now with how his clawed fingers anxiously twisted thin air he was so clearly... Afraid. While she wished it wasn't so she understood that fear, and she couldn't blame him for it either, only she also knew deep in her heart that wasn't what he wanted-what either of them wanted. After all she could remember the sensations she felt that snowy night over a week ago alongside him-the taste of his artificial lips, the sound of his small needy cries for her, and the weight of his hands on her body when they'd shared such intimate longings.

Surely his feelings for hadn't change in the time she'd been away... Had they? No, there was no way they could-over the phone he'd told her he wanted to be with her-that he was afraid but more than that he wanted to be by her side. Then there was the incredible fact that he'd traveled across Storybrooke just to take care of her-it all had to mean-

“Now, anything else my despondent hero is in need of before she rests?" His sudden question caught Belle out of her mulling while the trickster like persona Rumplestiltskin draped himself in whirled about with that silly childish voice. "More blankets? A cup of hot chocolate? Tissues? A bed time story about dashing heroics and brave knights to help ease you to sleep?”

At the end he gave her a mischievous waggle of his eyebrows on their tracks, and while the act usually elicited a laugh or a smile from her it was hard for her this time to do either. Like him she could tell the difference between his real self and his forced acts, and there was no denying that he was masking his emotions to protect himself. Despite growing a bit frustrated at it Belle only sighed as she willingly slipped back beneath her covers. Doing so she was left to look up at the impish machine whose metal eyes finally relaxed with what she thought was content at her seeming to be settling in.

"I don't know if I can go back to sleep right away, but it is rather cold in here. Do you think you could turn up the heat a bit, please… The thermostat is right next to the lights to the living room...” There Belle paused as if distracted by something only to quickly bounce back with an apologetic smile as she realized he was staring at her worriedly again. “Sorry, I just realized I should give you a proper tour of the place... Not that there is much to look at besides books and what little I own..."

"That is all right-you can do so later, and I _maaaaaaay_ have already snooped a bit while you were sleeping.”

With a sheepish hunch of his shoulders Rumplestiltskin bared his sharp yellow teeth in a lopsided grin-the sight of it far too adorable for her to be angry at. Besides, she couldn't be mad at him for simply being curious to his new surroundings, especially after Avonlea was all he'd ever known. The fact he'd been comfortable enough to explore her abode without fear while she'd slept made her more than happy as she let out a weak chuckle.

“Feel free to look about as much as you like... And if you want you can read any book or watch TV-do whatever makes you at home. However... I know you feel more at ease once you've mapped a place out from top to bottom, and I know the place is so messy right now... Even if I'm not the more organized person I... I really normally don’t keep it like this.” There she gave a slight grimace of her own while Rumplestiltskin surprisingly approached upon a few carefully placed steps. For a moment longer she hoped he would plop down and sit beside her, but he just remained standing there with his arms folded squarely behind his back...

Keeping them further away from her in the process.

“I... I figured that much given you were down and out for the count, though the stacks of books freely settled about... I doubt that isn't the normal here-I'm more surprised we are not having to wade through a sea of them.” The teasing tone lacing his voice had the beauty squinting at him, but all too quickly a thoughtful expression crossed his faux face. Upon glancing at her Belle felt her heart skip a beat at those golden orbs and the utter softness they held towards her-like he knew something she didn't... Something...

Wait! Her research!

Shoot-she'd left it out for all to see in her dinning room-more so for him to see! Why-why hadn't she thought to put it away! Of course being sick hadn't left her with the greatest mindset to plan ahead, but still-she wasn't exactly ready to share it with him-

As if sensing her frantic thoughts Rumplestiltskin shook his head which spilled his curls about his shirt collar. “Don't worry-I didn't mess with your things you have scattered about on the table as much as I would have liked to organize it all... It's... I saw in your living room… You.. You kept it..."

Belle perked up at that against her pillow, wondering as to what he meant while Rumplestiltskin looked terribly conflicted on what he wanted to say or do. On the other hand all the young woman wanted to do was pull him down onto her bed so she could hold him close and not let go... She'd show him there was no need to be afraid of being near her, and then when they were ready she'd talk to him in depth like they so desperately needed too. Honestly, it was becoming far too hard to reign back the love she felt for him even through her sickness, particularly when he looked at her like he was so... So...

Lost.

After a few seconds of stifling silence he shook his head again as if willing himself to speak. "My... My spinning wheel... After everything that happened I didn't know if you'd... Keep it.”

“O-Of course I kept it! Why wouldn't I!” Belle abruptly exclaimed despite her strained throat hurting in protest. Forcing herself to sit back up, her stomach disagreeing with the sudden movement, she watched as Rumplestiltskin shuffled back like she was the most frightening thing in the whole world. That wasn't helping her fight off the urge to get up and make him see sense either, yet she just laid back in bed with a soft 'thump' against the mattress, her fingers curling over the edge of her comforter. “That night I gave it back to you I meant what I said... So I... I have no right to do anything with it since it is yours. After what... Happened... I brought it back with me for safe keeping until we could... Talk things out... If you want I can bring it back to Avonlea when I am better, and we can try to fit it in your room... It'll be a snug fit, but you deserve to have your wheel with you... You've been without it for so long...”

Just mentioning it was enough for Belle to see the regret weighing down the his segmented shoulder plates, though he busied himself with rolling his sleeves back down his arms. Why... Why was it so hard for him to see she was okay-that in spite of him accidentally hurting her it didn't matter as they were both alive and whole? Showing how well her cuts were healing for a moment seemed like a good idea, but the beauty knew it would only hurt him further to be reminded of what he had done without meaning too as permanent marks across her flesh. No, to her impatient frustration what they both needed now was simply time... Time... Yes, this couldn't just be fixed over night-it would take a while for things to go back to any what sense of normalcy they once had...

Except... Could they really?

After all she'd come to find out the depth of her feelings that wonderful terrible night as the thought had her glancing to her end table where inside the top drawer she knew his hand made gift sat safe and sound. Oh, with that and more she'd finally accepted how her heart yearned for Rumplestiltskin in a way it never had before for anyone else. She wasn't alone in that either for he'd shown her that he felt something for her too... It was still unclear if what he felt was _love._.. Regardless, if he didn't happen to love her back she loved him so deeply that she had to at least reforge their friendship what way she could-they were meant to be together through thick and thin... No matter what...

Gazing back up to the anxious imp from behind a few untamed locks her voice drifted up through her room that was so quiet she could hear his parts working away inside. "Don't worry about loosing it, okay? It's your choice what happens to it, and no matter where you are or what is going on that is something no one can take from you ever again... Not only that, but I... I want to respect your other choices too, because you don't ever have to do anything you don't want to.... You know that right?"

_'Including touching me or being close...'_ Belle allowed the thought even though she had to close her eyes to deal with the inward pain twisting her heart into a ragged knot. She could only hope that after getting him fixed he wouldn't have to fear harming anyone anymore he would return to the closeness they'd formed, but if he didn't after everything... Would she force him to endure-

Suddenly a shift of weight through out her bed had her eyes popping back open as she looked towards her feet to see Rumplestiltskin sitting down at the end. He was much farther away than she liked, but he had gotten near her again without her having to initiate the closeness. Without a doubt she knew him doing such a small thing was an act of trust on both their parts with how his hands twiddled with one another in his lap in an anxious manner. After a few moments of this new awkward silence he seemed to regard the situation, his gaze flickering too and fro from her before speaking.

“Alas, I don't think keeping it my 'room' will be possible even if I wanted to. If you would allow it I... I would like it t-to remain here instead. I think it looks far more fitting in your space than it ever did at Avonlea..." There he paused again, his words warming her heart a bit, though she had to imagine if he had lungs or breath he'd be holding it from how he stared down at his now unmoving hands. "Also it will give me something to do when I... S-Stay over here, and I-I am curious-you did say it can be used to spin actual material correct? Maybe I can be useful after all if I learn how to actually make s-something. I can't go on and be a free loader... "

Wait... Had she just heard him right? He'd talked so quickly at the end she'd almost missed it, but there was no way she hadn't-flu or not muddling her mind. It was just after everything so far she hadn't been expecting him to say something like... Like that!

As he turned his head towards her Rumplestiltskin visibly stiffened, likely at her mouth hanging agape alongside the stunned expression plastered on her face.

“Wait, so you’re saying you want to… You want me to keep your wheel here, and that you'll stay here with me-I mean, that you want to come back after today?” Just to be sure Belle inquired further, riling herself up as well to the point she was rising from bed only for the imp to swiftly grab the edges of her comforter and pull it back about herself. Though he 'tsked' at her all that while the fact he was basically tucking her in after admitting he'd stay with her-that he'd leave Avonlea to come over in the future, had Belle's heart twist in overwhelming happiness beneath her ribs.

Now she knew for certain he meant every bit of what he'd said, giving her fresh new hope that he'd come back around-that this distance wouldn't last.

This time when her mouth curled upwards it was entirely genuine, not too unlike his own smile he wore despite trying to fend it off. Sadly, the light hearted moment didn't last as she watched his mouth fall into a tense line with a sudden thought. There he drew back into a more solemn state hunched over her bed with his segmented digits folded in his lap... Looking so small without his usual striking leather coat or other effects.

“Yes, I would really like to stay over from here on if you would let me, because I want to be here-with you... For more reasons than just what happened last night... Which is something we can't go on ignoring. I wanted us to talk about this later after you got some more rest... But, that man, Belle..." Like him Belle's features became serious the more he spoke of this worrisome situation that were indeed in-a discussion that couldn't be avoided no matter how uncomfortable it made her feel. "It was really him-there was no mistaking that. I barely saw his face last night, but both you and I know it couldn't be anyone else."

"I recognized the... Um, hat he was wearing... I am not sure when you got there last night, but I watched that all happen last night from my balcony... Since I had left it open to hear for you and keep myself awake from the cold."  There the imp narrowed his eyes at her rather unhappily while the sickly night guard continued on to avoid getting a scolding herself.  "Not before long there'd been a sound, and that's when I noticed him and then that other man... From where I was I couldn't hear much of their discussion. Next thing I knew... They both ran off because of my tea kettle I left on the stove... But why... After what happened to him and after all this time... Why did he come back? Why now?"

That question lingered overhead in the following span of silence taking up the empty spaces and corners of her room. The mere thought of that ill boding scene had her skin crawling again, making her turn further into her bed while Rumple glanced to her with sympathy ebbing in his odd eyes.

"The other man with him-you did see him too right?" He asked her to which she gave a small nod.

Despite having been hidden in the doorway all that while she'd had enough of an angle from above to see the newcomer. Unfortunately she wasn't able to make out his face because of that too, but what whispers she'd heard-his voice... It had been faint yet somewhat familar except her memory couldn't pinpoint where she could've possibly heard it before.

"I believe that man that attacked you... A Mr. Smee from what I heard, was hired by that other person to target Avonlea... Specifically that night. Sounds like Avonlea isn't their only hit-more like they have a business of it..."

"So they're likely dirty crooks-makes sense from what I experienced, but why would anyone target Avonlea... Sure they have some technology there, but it... It seems more a hassle than a profit really, and for one person to do that all alone? Something just... Doesn't add up." The worn night guard concluded-her voice raising a bit as the idea of them having picked her and Rumple's beloved family fun center... Laying there she had to just huff out loud from this rising fury building up inside-who knew if the previous break in that caused Mr. Getto to have to get a night guard had something to do with them too!

Sensing her growing displeasure with that odd ability of his her companion patted her covered leg briefly before joining her-a gush of air escaping his plated throat. "I don't know why they were so intent either-the rotten bastards, but that was what it sounded like from the other man with your attacker... That man... I could make out his face too, but I haven't ever seen him at Avonlea before. The worse thing is this what his lackey spoke about that night-how you weren't alone and that he'd been attacked by something-something not... Not human... And while he does not know directly what I am it still means that someone else knows about me, and now... This other man will too."

Fresh fear flourished inside her chest at those haunting words as terrible scenes she'd had nightmares of came to life behind her wide eyes. Before her she'd watched her mechanical man so kind and misunderstood strewn torn and broken apart at her feet-his own eyes dark and lifeless as the world deemed him a thing to be distinguished without a care. If these people figured out about him then his secret might be uncovered because of them if they continue to come after her-no! She couldn't let that happen-never-she'd die-she'd fight them to the death before any one could hurt him!

"They don't have any proof about that night-they can't just assume anything about you or your existence! B-Besides we know about them now, and that they came back, so even if they try to do something-I-I won't let them! I'll never-l-e-" Belle's frantic words broke off as another round of coughing took hold of her, causing Rumplestiltskin to swiftly lean forward, his hands desperately fluttering again in his panic to help her. However, when they reached out they went around her, grabbing something at her end table she'd not quite noticed before and holding to towards her face.

"Dearest, here-drink some water-it's going to be all right-please-" He begged, and seeing the cup of water he had offered she too it, greedily draining the water from inside with hefty gulps.

Her parched throat thanked her for it, and as her shoulders hitched with her dying coughs he took the now emptied cup from her to let her regain her composure. More of her precious energy felt like it had fled her body so sinking back into her bed didn't require any encouragement on his part.

Bleary eyed now she looked up to see her beloved's face hovering over after he'd set the glass aside, having scooted even closer which had her fighting back stinging tears. More than ever she  just wanted his arms around her, but she couldn't have his touch as he kept himself back-those hands clenched tightly over the edge of her bed.

"I am sorry this is happening to you-I didn't think this would happen after what I had done to him, and because of me you... You can't get involved with the police just like that night... You have to promise me though that you will contact the police if you are ever in a situation that doesn't feel safe... Promise me-even if I get compromised." All Belle could do was nod again, but that seemed to be enough to sate him as he closed his eyes, the yellow hue about his face disappearing in the process. "In return I promise you Belle-with all my strength and my might... I won't allow anything or anyone else to harm you either... You'll be safe... At least from them..."

With that he lurched forward, getting onto his feet while Belle wished she could reach out a hand and take his own in hers to make him stay. For now she was left lying there, studying his profile and the empty expression he held. Such sorrow-such heartache... How she wished she could just wipe it away-that they could joke and smile like things really were all right, but... No, even if things couldn't go back to being perfectly the same she wouldn't change that he was here with her now, and for that she did her best to cast aside her pain for the joy his presence brought.

“I know you won’t, and when I am with you I am the safest I could possibly be.” Belle said with not a single tremble or doubt lacing her voice.  

There he looked down at her, softness smoothing his faux features-a glimmer of hope bared there as well with how his mouth twitched. "We will talk more about what we're going to do later when you are feeling more your usual self. For now I need to let you rest, so I'll be in the other room, but! If you need anything don't hesitate to let me know, and no being so stubborn about it either-there is nothing wrong with help now and then. You've taught me that much..."

There Rumplestiltskin turned with a graceful pivot to excuse himself, and as Belle laid there in bed she watched him with such longing that her brain wracked for any excuse to keep him near-just for a moment longer.

“Rumplestiltskin-wait!” The words came tumbling out without an entire cohesive thought to them as he neared her door, but to her relief the mechanical man swiveled back to her with concern once more. Trying to regain her voice Belle glanced to the window, noticing the small beam of light cutting through the darkness and falling upon the far edge of her bed. No doubt it was a sunny day out comparatively more than the last few, and much like his touch she yearned for the warmth it also provided. “Um, do you think you could open up the curtains for me? I think some sunlight would help-to be honest I’m tired of it being so dark, and as much as I like winter it looks like it's a beautiful day outside. Please?" 

“Oh... All right-if my honorable knight wishes for sunlight, so be it.” A slight smile pulled taut at Rumplestiltskin's mouth before he approached her large window. Silently the beauty watched him with her gaze doing its best to remain upon his back than studying the new leather pants she had noticed he was wearing and how snug they fit his... Pert backside. Altogether his lithe form, wild curls, and metal hull captivated her more and more each passing day, leaving her sprawled there like the lovestruck fool she knew she was. What happened next though surprised her more than she could've expected, for Rumple grabbed both curtains and paused only a moment before pulling them both back wide open-

Light-a flood of it, ushered in to allow the welcoming sun to set her inky room ablaze from how the shadows withdrew their hold.

Much like her laptop Belle had to squint at first as her head throbbed a bit from the sudden brightness that overwhelmed her senses. However, the pain and thought of anything else dissipated as her blue eyes beheld a sight unlike that she'd ever been graced to see... 

After all this time she'd somewhat forgotten this simple wish-this one of her many dreams that had now come true.

Honestly, Rumple was so absolutely stunning in the dapples of true light that she knew he'd not seen for so, so, long. In their time together the usual moonlight and artificial glow of bulbs had cascaded him more green-sometimes even a dull grey, but in the hue from the actual sun his scaled metal was sparkling a brilliant gold-a sight rare to behold like the precious ore he reminded her of. She watched in awe with parted lips as his metal eyelids blinked human like several times, probably due to the machinery within them adjusting to such intensity. He too seemed stricken with an array of emotions, and for a minute or so they both remained like they were as he stared out the glass pane upon the busying main street of Storybrooke, roving his gaze from everything to anything with an audible clatter of parts.

Like her the animatronic was lost in the moment-that was until he seemed to grab hold of his senses and turn around to look at back at her. A halo of light formed around him, giving her an even better glimpse of his dazzling features against the backdrop of such a bright blue sky.

Seeing him like that-so free and bared to this world before him-this new future and opportunity... It was beautiful to her-he was utterly beautiful to her-more than he could ever hope to know. Now she also had a beautiful wonderful memory she'd cherish for the rest of her days-a truth that couldn't be denied with how moisture laced the corners of her watery eyes. That moment like all was quick to disappear as he stalked forward, leaving the curtains parted which casted a shadow that reached far across her room. That warm smile of his upon his face dropped as he halted in place at having noticed her emotional state with a increasing worried look.

"What... What is wrong? Is it too bright? I can close it back up if-" Rumplestiltskin started to say only she was swift to interrupt him by shaking her head.

“No, it’s fine… It’s just… I'm really, really, happy you are here Rum... I missed you a lot... I don't think I've said that enough." One pale hand reached up to her face, wiping at her eyes to hide just how affected she was while she laughed softly in that dazzling light. She didn't see the awestruck expression on his own face doing so, but as she lifted her head she saw how his metal eyelids had stopped blinking -the humanity of the movement not lost on her or with its ongoing absence.

"Y... Yes... I... I missed you too, but you better-you have to sleep for now! And later on when you are hungry you'll have to help me in preparing something good for you. You humans like to make-ah! Yes, you like to make chicken noodle soup when you are sick, or so I've heard." Rumplestiltskin exclaimed with both of his frill cuffed hands flying about, clearly trying to move on from their previous conversation. 

"A classic remedy, that sounds wonderful. I would like that..." Belle said in a gentle sleepy tone-one brimming with hope and at the same time a sorrow she couldn't deny.

For a few seconds his mouth trembled like he wished to say something else only for nothing to fall past those golden green lips. Too soon the beauty of him in the sun's rays spilling into her room as torn from her with how he drew back into the thicker shadows of her room before disappearing swiftly through her bedroom door, leaving it open only a crack behind him. From there the beauty could hear him even after he was gone-the faint echoes of metal parts and his boots against her hardwood floors. While she hurt from how he would not remain with her at lease these sounds were a pleasant reminder she was not alone right now-that her special someone was waiting for her within the other room...

Not too unlike that night... That night with a small sad girl and a lonely machine kept apart by a mere curtain.

With his ongoing presence made known though all the fear of before-of the man who attacked her and his associate-of Rumple being left all alone-that he would run from her entirely... It slowly melted away from this and the warmth of the lazy sun beams as the faint echoes of his metal parts continued to click and clatter from her living room. It was something she'd definitely have to get use to after having lived alone for so long, yet it was certainly something she wouldn't mind adjusting to...

And surely in time... Both security guard and animatronic could talk about what had taken place their Christmas Eve-between the terrible blood and suffering they'd endured and the wonderful kisses and heartfelt words they'd shared. They'd overcome so much together already she no longer wanted to doubt that this was something they would over come too. With that wish in the forefront of her hazy mind-sleep intent on taking her captive once more, she sighed and nestled her head back into her pillow.

It was then as she was prepared to close her eyes that she heard a certain noise in her apartment she'd never heard before.

At first it was ever so low against the still backdrop of her own small sanctuary she'd almost missed it. Soon it became steadier-more distinct-not footsteps or a voice or anything like that. Overall it was a sound she'd longed to hear since she'd heard tale of it from her mischievous imp himself recollecting 'olden' days, but deep in her heart it was something she'd wanted for more time than she knew. With the gradual build of it, not at all unpleasant to her ears, a content smile settled across her tired pale face. Oh, she longed for him to be beside her instead of a room away, for now she accepted this as she knew he was right where he was meant to be.

Yes, finally... They were both _home_.

While it wasn't perfect-wasn't the 'happy ending' she'd yet imagine, it was the closest thing to the start of one she'd ever known in a long, long time.

Her smile grew with that thought while her eyes began to grow heavier with sleep claiming Belle shortly after, lulled into its sweet embrace thanks to Rumplestiltskin himself...

For across the space of her apartment was filled with the rhythmic whirl of a spinning wheel.


End file.
